Up in Smoke
by Lady Shera
Summary: After a fire destroys Haruhi's apartment, it sets off a chain of events that no one in the Host Club is prepared for. Just sent up Chapter 13. Read, review, and enjoy!
1. Homeward

**UP IN SMOKE**

By Tsukiko Hitachiin

_**Notes and Disclaimer**__: I don't own Host Club. Bisco Hatori does, so please don't sue me. Thank you._

Summary: It was a nightmare unfolding in front of the terrified girl's eyes. Acrid smoke, raging flames, and the resulting destruction. How could all this insanity be taking place? Please read and review. Thanks!

CHAPTER 1: HOMEWARD

It had been a long night at the library for Haruhi Fujioka. In two days, she would have her calculus exam, and she had spent the better part of the last four hours studying derivatives, integrals, asymptotes, functions, and all other forms of mathematic equations relating to the subject matter. Her eyes burned as she closed her calculus book, hoping she had absorbed all the necessary knowledge to score well on this exam.

_Mother in heaven, I just want some sleep. Just a little sleep._

Haruhi knew her mother was watching her from heaven, and she almost felt like she could hear her mother's strong, confident voice cheering her on in her academic pursuits. For as long as she could remember, Haruhi knew she wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a brilliant lawyer like her. That was why she tried to get into Ouran High School in the first place, since that was the school most likely to offer her the challenges that would motivate her to succeed and help her in her aspirations. By comparison, public school would have been too easy, and would never have given her any sort of challenge.

_Besides,_ Haruhi thought, _if I hadn't gotten into Ouran, I never would have had a chance to meet all the crazy boys who I have the pleasure of knowing as my best friends_.

She smiled softly as she reflected on the different faces of the boys who made up the Host club. All six of them had their different yet lovable personality quirks that Haruhi had grown to enjoy even though she almost never admitted it out loud. Each of these wealthy young men had imprinted themselves on her heart in different ways as friends, mentors, lovers (or at least, wannabe lovers) and most importantly, her surrogate family, albeit an upper-class family in which she often felt out of place.

Descending the outside stairs of the library with her books securely placed in her backpack, Haruhi started home, sticking to the well-lit sidewalk and keeping watch in case of any possible trouble. Even though she was walking home by herself at night, she felt relatively safe since the library was in a good neighborhood, and it was still relatively early, for her at least.

She figured her father would be asleep by now, since he was getting ready to go on yet another staff trip with the hopes of bringing in some more money for them. Despite his rather unorthodox line of work as a cross-dresser in a bar, Haruhi loved her father and was happy that he loved and supported her even though she constantly asserted her wishes to be independent and take care of things by herself. Thankfully, he respected those wishes for the most part, but he would be by her side in an instant if she truly needed him. Continuing to listen for any signs of danger, Haruhi continued her trip back to the apartment she shared with her father.

About four minutes into her journey, Haruhi heard sirens coming from several blocks away.

_Fire engines? Why so many of them?_ At first, she shrugged off the noise, figuring that some building across town caught fire judging by where the noise was coming from. But then the sirens got louder as Haruhi continued walking towards her home. As she got closer to her destination, however, her unease increased, as did the sound of the fire engine sirens. Before she knew what was happening, several fire engines rounded the corner and sped past her in the very direction she was heading. They turned the corner about two blocks ahead…and then she saw a faint and ominous light up ahead which could only mean one thing.

_Oh no. Please tell me this isn't happening_. Haruhi thought as she started running after the fire engines. Before she could reach the intersection, though, a black limousine drove up right in front of her. The back window slid down to reveal the unusually worried face of Kyouya Ohtori, thus confirming the young girl's fears.

"Kyouya-senpai? What are you…" Haruhi began, but Kyouya cut her off immediately.

"Haruhi, get in." Kyouya commanded somewhat calmly, but Haruhi caught the tinge of panic in his voice. As the vice president and unofficial shadow king of the Host club, Kyouya was usually cool, calculating, and virtually unflappable in the face of the daily chaos surrounding his life. But as Haruhi entered the limousine, she noticed that the shadow king was fighting to keep his emotions and anxiety under control as he gave tersely-worded instructions to his chauffer.

"Driver, take us to the Fujioka residence immediately." After that, Kyouya fell silent, but Haruhi could still sense his worry.

Several blocks away, the flames increased in height and intensity. The invisible angel of death was watching from above, waiting to claim his prey from the resulting destruction.

Haruhi's long night was only beginning.

"Sir, this is as close as we can get. The fire trucks are blocking the way." Kyouya's driver stated apologetically as he braked the limousine two blocks in front of the rapidly burning apartment complex that had served as the Fujioka residence since Haruhi was born. Without thinking, Haruhi opened the doors to the limo, ignoring Kyouya's shouts for her to stop, and sprinted toward the conflagration. Panic and utter terror completely overtook the normally calm and rational girl as she thought of her father and her home. The acrid smell of smoke and burning debris stung her eyes and made her cough, and the heat from the flames was close to unbearable, but Haruhi continued to run towards her home.

_Please be okay, Dad. Please be outside waiting for me…_

TBC

Author's note: It's been a long time since I have actually posted any fanfiction, and this is my first shot at writing a multi-chapter fic. But my life has been pretty hectic with schooling, learning foreign languages, and just plain old writer's block. But upon seeing "Ouran High School Host Club" in both anime and manga form, I feel like the creative juices are starting up again. (Thank you, Bisco Hatori!)

Oh, and incidentally, in Volume 1 of the manga, Takashi Morinozuka, or Mori-senpai, is indeed compared to a Siberian Husky because he is dependable and loyal, like this noble breed of dog.

Anyway, please feel free to read and review. Constructive criticism welcome. I wonder if I should turn this into a romance, if I haven't lost too much of my creative edge. I welcome your suggestions.

Until next time.


	2. Anxieties

_**Notes and Disclaimer**: Once again, I don't own Ouran Host Club or any characters. Bisco Hatori does, so once again, I ask that you please don't sue me. Thank you._

CHAPTER 2: ANXIETIES

About a block away from the building, Haruhi was forced to stop running towards it. She tasted bitter ashes in her mouth, and her eyes watered furiously from the smoke and the overwhelming emotion that Haruhi was feeling. If that wasn't enough, the brutal heat from the fire had gotten to the point where she simply couldn't get any closer. All around her, firefighters rushed around trying desperately to contain the blaze and keep it from spreading to any other nearby buildings. Paramedics gathered up seriously injured tenants and drove them off to the various city hospitals, but the fierce conflagration in front of her held her in a shocked and blinding gaze. Raging flames lashed out from the rooftop, as though some demon force was mocking her and cutting her off from her world and the life she knew and cherished. She then looked around frantically, and noticed that several tenants from her apartment, including her landlady, were standing across the street a good distance away from the burning building.

But where was her father? Even from where she was standing, Haruhi knew Ryoji Fujioka's face whether or not it was covered in makeup.

Realizing the stupidity and possible futility of running back into her apartment to try and find her father, she rushed toward the group of people who shared the apartment complex with her and her father, scarcely noticing that two other black limousines had made their way to the disaster site.

"Haruhi-chan! Oh thank heavens you're safe!" The landlady who had lived in the apartment below the Fujiokas cried tears of relief upon seeing that the young girl was unharmed.

"Where's my father?" Haruhi wasted no time in asking the question. She had scanned the small group of anxious people who had been standing around huddled in blankets while emergency workers tried to comfort them. Some adults were crying for the loss of their homes and friends while children just wailed and hugged their parents. Other people talked quietly amongst themselves and tried to assure one another that they would manage despite this tragic loss. A few of the older tenants, however, stared fixedly with wide-eyed expressions at their rapidly-disintegrating homes and tried to make some semblance of sense out of the chaos. What was to become of them?

Haruhi's landlady hesitated a moment and looked into the girl's eyes. "Haruhi-chan, I don't know. I didn't see any firemen take him out of the building." The older woman looked apologetic as she said those words to her stunned tenant.

"What? Does that mean he's…" Haruhi forced her mind to focus despite the emotion that was threatening to take over and consume her.

_Stop it, Haruhi, _she chastised herself._ Think for a moment. Just because the landlady didn't see him taken out doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't taken out. Maybe someone else saw him taken out in one of the ambulances, or maybe he made it out on his own._

Maybe there was some hope after all.

But before Haruhi could further question her landlady or anyone else as to where her father could possibly be, she heard two sets of rapidly-approaching footsteps.

"Haruhi! Haruhi!!" Two very familiar yet panicked voices shouted her name in unison, and Haruhi immediately knew who was coming for her next.

Upon turning around, she was quickly sandwiched between the slender yet strong arms of Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. The auburn-haired twins held her tightly and rested their chins on the top of her head and snuggled her in their warmth. For a change, Haruhi didn't look remotely annoyed at feeling their arms wrapped around her. Instead, she felt much safer, even though she still feared for her father's safety.

"Hikaru? Kaoru?" Haruhi made some effort to look them in the faces, even though her head was still securely under their chins. Finally the grip on her right hand side loosened, and Kaoru stepped away and looked at her with wide golden eyes while still holding onto one of her hands. Hikaru, however, maintained his grasp on the girl and even started to tremble a little. He was terrified for Haruhi.

"Oh, Haruhi, you're safe." Kaoru told her, relief evident in his voice. "When Kyouya-senpai told us what had happened here, we were so afraid for you. Please don't scare us like that; we don't ever want to lose you." Kaoru's face was devoid of any of the usual mischief when he spoke these words. Instead, the younger Hitachiin twin had a serious face and concerned eyes that no one aside from Hikaru had seen. He held Haruhi's hand steadily as a solemn gesture of friendship and unity and tried to smile reassuringly at her. But it was hard to do so in this horrible situation.

"Haruhi…" From above her, Haruhi heard her name whispered in a strangled, shaky voice. Hikaru had not loosened his grip on the small girl even a little bit. The older twin shivered inwardly and outwardly at the thought of what might have happened to her if she had not chosen to study at the library that night. Up until now, only Kaoru had seen Hikaru display this kind of raw trembling fear he was showing, and Hikaru was at a complete loss at what he could possibly say to Haruhi in this circumstance. All he could do was act on instinct, and at the moment his instinct was screaming at him to protect Haruhi Fujioka with all of his strength.

"Hikaru, I'm all right, you know. I was nowhere near the fire when it broke out." While Hikaru was acting on instinct, Haruhi once again let her rationality take over temporarily as she tried to reassure the scared boy who continued to hold her as if he were afraid she would burn away with the apartment if he let her out of his arms.

The wind shifted, and a flurry of ashes swirled around the trio, causing Haruhi to start coughing. Kaoru covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his jacket and looked into the eyes of his identical twin, a silent signal that they needed to move away from the building that the roaring flames continued to destroy. Only then did Hikaru reluctantly let go of Haruhi and lead her towards the waiting limousine. With more than one worried backward glance at her former home, Haruhi was forced to let Hikaru drag her by her forearm while Kaoru pushed her gently towards the waiting car by her shoulders.

"Wait! What about my father? I can't find him." Haruhi allowed the panicked words to leave her mouth. "My landlady said she didn't see him leave. I have to know where he is. I have to know he's all right! And what about my neighbors? I can't just leave them! I grew up with a lot of these people!" Her normally controlled voice increased in volume and pitch as she craned her neck once again over Kaoru's shoulder. Once again, her anxiety was threatening to crush her mind. She was about to wrench her arm out of Hikaru's vice-like grasp to rush back to the survivors when someone else spoke to her in a deep yet controlled voice that had a rather strong French accent.

"I just spoke to Kyouya. Ranka-san did make it out, but he's been taken to the main Ohtori hospital in one of their private ambulances. Kyouya said he'd meet us there." Haruhi turned her head at the sound. Behind the Hitachiin brothers' limousine, Tamaki Suoh stood in front of his own limousine holding a cell phone in his hand. "There hasn't been any report on his condition yet," Tamaki responded to her unasked question as he made his way toward the twins and their friend.

The tall, lithe, blond teenager was clearly trying to keep his emotions in check as he closed the distance between them. Haruhi looked at his violet-blue eyes that displayed worry, anger, fear, and grief all at the same time. She had seen that particular look in his eyes at only one other time, and that was at the beach in Okinawa after Haruhi had tried to be a hero. This time, however, Tamaki did not grab her shoulders, since Kaoru's hands were already there, and Hikaru was watching him warily while he still gripped Haruhi's forearm tightly. Instead, he stopped in front of the small group and regarded Haruhi with deep concern.

"We should get going to the hospital too. Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai will also be joining us there." Tamaki stated as he turned back towards his limo. Nodding to the driver, who bowed low for his master, Tamaki sat himself in the back of the enormous black car. "Hikaru, Kaoru, keep an eye on Haruhi." The blunt sentence was spoken as a command to the identical redheads. Granted, Haruhi might have learned her lesson from the beach, but Tamaki simply did not want to take any chances given the girl's current emotional state. He cared way too much for the slender, petite brunette and hoped that she would survive this terrible turn of events. He noticed tears starting to build in her wide chocolate eyes and noted how she was managing to suppress them behind a blank mask in front of her senior.

_Why can't she let herself cry?_ Tamaki sighed sadly as he looked out the window at her retreating form. He uttered a silent prayer to the heavens that she would remain strong and at the same time allow for the release of her emotional turmoil.

Wordlessly, Hikaru and Kaoru steered Haruhi towards their own limousine and sat the young girl between them in the spacious back seat. Not once did they break physical contact with their small wide-eyed friend. Kaoru nodded to the driver to follow the Suoh limousine to the main Ohtori hospital where Ranka-san was currently being treated. Haruhi sat still and straight against the plush leather cushion and tried to be stoic for the sake of her friends. Kaoru rubbed Haruhi's tense shoulders and smiled tiredly at her, but Hikaru still shakily clutched Haruhi's forearm while he stared at the immaculate, red-carpeted floor of the limousine without saying anything or even looking at her.

Maybe it was just as well she couldn't see his eyes.

TBC

A/N: Well, that was a longer chapter, but obviously there's still more work to be done.

I hope I haven't made Hikaru too OOC for anyone, but he is indeed pretty possessive when it comes to Haruhi (and Kaoru, but that kind of goes without saying). I've seen episodes 15 and 16 enough times to know this. He may not have very many people who matter to him but the ones who do are cherished as parts of his soul, and he would die before letting his loved ones get hurt no matter what.

If nothing else, I think I nailed Kaoru, but Tamaki needs to be developed some more. He just didn't get enough time in the spotlight in this chapter. Neither did Kyouya in the last chapter for that matter, but I digress. Don't worry, they'll get their chance. Everyone will get their chance.

Chapter 3 will probably match Hikaru's temper, in that it plans to be short and intense. Can you guess why?

And in case you're wondering, I titled this chapter "anxieties" in the plural sense because all the characters who have made an appearance have expressed their emotions in different ways, whether openly or not.

Hope you enjoyed reading this latest installation. Please read and review. A good writer needs her readers to keep her honest. (Heh heh).

Take care, and thanks for your comments!

P.S. I have no idea how many hospitals the Ohtori family has, but I get the feeling the "main" hospital probably has the most state-of-the-art technology.


	3. Release

_**Disclaimer**__: Host Club isn't mine. Please keep the lawyers at bay. Thank you._

CHAPTER 3: RELEASE

An uneasy silence had settled in the back of the Hitachiin limousine. The driver said nothing as he followed Kaoru's instructions to get them to the hospital, and they sped away from the destroyed apartment that once served as Haruhi's home. A small amount of smoke could still be smelled inside the limo, so Kaoru touched a button on the small panel on the passenger side to close the vents. Then he touched another button to activate a small built-in air freshener behind the back seat.

"Better?" he asked Haruhi while the faint, calming smell of lavender permeated the air around them. All he wanted right now was to comfort this poor young girl who was now without a home.

Haruhi nodded silently, after having long ago given up on trying to look back at the apartment and see if her neighbors were going to be all right. She simply wasn't tall enough to see out the small back window, and when she tried to stretch out and crane her neck back, she could still feel Hikaru's quivering iron grip on her left arm. He still trembled as he held onto her. At this point, Haruhi decided that she wanted to break contact from the older Hitachiin. A little of his protectiveness was okay, she reasoned, and even touching, but she was concerned that his grip might end up leaving a mark on her small arm. Besides, she was no longer in any danger.

"Hikaru?" she tentatively whispered. "I think you can let go of my arm now."

No response. Hikaru didn't even look at her or acknowledge in any way that he had heard her, even though she knew he had very good hearing.

"Hikaru?" she called to him again, once again to no avail. Finally she decided that the only way out was to try and pry his trembling fingers off of her. She reached over with her right hand and tried to work his hands away from her forearm. The still-frightened redhead had a powerful hold on her, and wouldn't let go that easily. Nevertheless, she persisted in her efforts.

Suddenly Hikaru reached forward and slammed his free hand down on a button on the driver's side panel next to him. In front of the trio, a black sheet of glass rolled up between them and the driver, which would prevent the driver from seeing or hearing anything that went on in the back seat.

The moment the glass had rolled up completely, Hikaru faced Haruhi with pure undiluted rage. His hazel-gold eyes were wide, red-rimmed and incandescent with anger, fear, and more than a little bit of disappointment. His teeth were bared, as if he was snarling like a rabid pit bull, and he was still shaking as he pushed his brother's hands away from the startled young girl and grasped her by her small shoulders ferociously as if daring her to make a struggle against him.

Wisely, Haruhi refrained from struggling.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TRYING TO DO BACK THERE?" Hikaru screamed at her, causing Kaoru to jump slightly in his seat and stare at his brother's scowling face. When Haruhi blinked at him and remained silent, he launched into his tirade again.

"Why did you head back towards that burning apartment so recklessly? Were you trying to be some invincible super heroine again? I swear, you accuse _me_ of not having any common sense! Well where the hell was _your_ common sense, Haruhi Fujioka? WHERE WAS IT?"

He paused to catch his breath, and Haruhi noticed his cheeks were flushed and he breathed heavily. Hikaru was notorious for his short temper, so she had grown used to all of his fits of anger and frustration. But this time it was different.

She was actually afraid of him.

Kaoru was startled by this sudden temper display as well. He had seldom seen an explosion of anger of this magnitude from his twin, except in extreme circumstances such as when Hikaru was protecting him. Still, out of concern for Haruhi, who had already lost so much, he felt that he needed to save her from Hikaru's fury.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru started softly, hoping to diffuse this abrupt change in his twin's attitude, but Hikaru fixed him with a black glare which Kaoru interpreted as an exceedingly firm directive not to interfere.

The younger twin nodded, deferring to his brother, but at the same time sending him a calm yet forceful look warning Hikaru not to say anything he might later regret.

Kaoru then leaned away from the two and seemingly shifted his gaze out the window, but he watched them out of his peripheral vision. If Hikaru needed to rant, that was his prerogative, and once the older Hitachiin twin had spent his anger, the younger twin would intercede and resume his role in comforting Haruhi. Kaoru knew his brother only too well.

Haruhi then spoke quietly to the redhead still holding onto her shoulders, thus shifting his attention back to her before an argument between the brothers could start. She didn't want Kaoru to have to withstand Hikaru's wrath as well.

"Hikaru, how could you have seen me?" Haruhi questioned, trying to make the furious twin think rationally, even though she knew it was a wasted effort. "You were in the back of the limousine, and there isn't much of a view from back here. Besides, I didn't notice that you and Tamaki-senpai had driven up to so how…" But a fierce growl of frustration tore out of Hikaru's throat, cutting short Haruhi's attempt to throw logic into the discussion.

"You don't think we got a glimpse of you running back towards the fire when our car turned the corner? You don't think we felt the ashes and the heat on your body and smelled the smoke when we caught up with you? You don't think we know what kind of a self-sacrificing person you are? Honestly, Haruhi, for someone with your super-high level of intelligence, you can be so stupid sometimes!" Hikaru's blazing gold eyes locked her darker ones in an all-encompassing glare as he continued his admonitions in a savage voice.

"Do you have any idea how much you scared us? How much you scared _me_? What if something in that building had exploded? What if you had been hit by debris or burned or trapped or suffocated even if you _had _managed to make it inside that death trap? What do you think would have happened?"

A chain of terrifying scenarios ran through Hikaru's head as he vented his emotions at her, but he just couldn't stand the idea of this petite, fragile-looking girl putting her life in danger. Fear for her safety fed his anger, and he briefly reflected on how much she really meant to him and Kaoru, who kept his head turned toward the window, but still watched them through his peripheral vision.

Over time, the two normally mischievous redheads had grown very fond of Haruhi, as she was the first real friend that they had ever had in their lives. Despite having each other and caring deeply for each other, the Hitachiin twins had always been lonely and had had a hard time relating to other people in the past. Haruhi Fujioka had been their angel who had showed them the world outside of "us" and "them", and the very idea of losing her upset them. There would never be another like her, and the twins knew it. Like it or not, she was an irreplaceable part of them.

Hikaru was especially concerned for her safety, since he had slowly developed real feelings for the girl, despite not always being able to express them properly. He just knew Haruhi was important to him in more ways than he could possibly imagine.

"All I wanted was to find my father…" Haruhi began.

"Well there's certainly no need for that now." Hikaru shot back, although not quite as ferociously as he would have before. His anger was slowly dissipating, but the elder Hitachiin still had more to say. "And even so, how do you think he'd feel if he knew you put yourself at risk in such a stupid way? Care to speculate?" Hikaru's grip on her shoulders loosened and the fury in his eyes slowly turned into deep concern for his friend. He suddenly released her and dropped his head down again, breaking eye contact. Haruhi continued to watch him, and upon closer examination of the taller boy's face, she noticed small clear droplets falling on the carpet.

Kaoru turned back from the window which he was pretending to look out of and saw his twin bury his face in his hands. The elder Hitachiin felt his breath hitch, and Haruhi immediately felt guilty about what she had done. The guilt penetrated the stone mask she had put on earlier to assuage the boy who had until now been admonishing her.

"Hikaru, are you okay? I'm sorry I scared you and Kaoru." Those simple words made Hikaru once again look up at her with tear-stained eyes. The remaining anger had finally bled away and he half-smiled at Haruhi. She softly ruffled his silky light auburn hair, but then she felt tears starting to well up in her own eyes. Much to the twins' relief, she did not try to stop them, but just let them slide down her cheeks.

"I just wish I knew how my father was doing…" Her own breath hitched, and she felt the bottled-up fear within her starting to manifest again. "I hate not knowing…I hate it. I want him to be all right. I want him to be safe."

Haruhi couldn't hold back anymore. All the worry, grief, and impending fatigue from the long and stressful night had finally reached her. She hugged her knees to her chest and cried softly thinking about how much her father meant to her and how much she loved him despite her trying to become more independent. Without him, she didn't know how she would get by.

Immediately both Hitachiin brothers gently folded their arms across her thin, slumped shoulders in silent support for their best friend. No one spoke, and the only sound to be heard was the occasional quiet sobs from the trio, as the tears continued to course in rivulets down their faces.

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other solemnly, both feeling sadness for their cherished friend. But they figured that as long as they could comfort Haruhi now, it would make it easier to deal with her tragic circumstances. Maybe not that much easier, but it was at least a start. Time and the love from her friends would have to take care of the rest.

Meanwhile the Hitachiin limousine continued on its winding journey through the traffic-laden streets of the inner city. Their destination awaited them a few miles away, and more tears would undoubtedly be falling before the night was over. But Haruhi still felt a small amount of comfort from the auburn-haired twins who held her close in a warm, protective embrace.

That was what she needed, and it was enough for now.

TBC

A/N: Okay so I was wrong about this chapter being short. This is actually my longest chapter to date. But I hope it was intense enough. A lot of emotions needed to come out here. Haruhi especially needed a release because she's lost so much and still doesn't know about her father's condition.

This was also the hardest chapter for me to write so far. Hikaru changes moods faster than a model changes outfits at a fashion show. However, he is the only host club member that can believably change his mood from scared to furious to sad in such a short amount of time. Even though he may have grown a little from his date with Haruhi, he still has a long way to go.

Too bad I can't do fanart for the life of me. I'd really like to see what Hikaru would look like chastising Haruhi for her recklessness. She needed it. It's common sense and safety, people: don't EVER run back into a burning house or apartment no matter what. Your lives are way too valuable.

Finally, two things: I know capital letters and italics don't really mix too well in dialogue, but I wouldn't put it past Hikaru to be both shouting and also speaking emphatically at a normal decibel level. (Dialogue isn't my strongest suit). Also, I don't know if there are lavender air fresheners in limousines that turn on like the air conditioner, but I don't dismiss the possibility either. Shows you how much I ride in those kinds of cars.

Please feel free to read and review. Again, constructive criticism is always welcome.

Until next time, stay safe, and stay out of burning buildings.


	4. Unconscious

_**Disclaimer**__: Host Club isn't mine; it belongs to Bisco Hatori. Thank you for not suing._

CHAPTER 4: UNCONSCIOUS

"We've arrived at the hospital, Kaoru-bochamma" the silver-haired Hitachiin driver finally announced over the limo's intercom system. The black glass window between the driver and the passengers was still up, but upon hearing the voice of their chauffer, the twins sat up and collected themselves.

"Thank you, Hiroki." Kaoru acknowledged the tall silvery-haired man, while Hikaru slowly touched the window control he had previously slammed and allowed the dark shield in front of the passengers to slide back down. Once again, the barrier between driver and passenger was open, and Hiroki, noticing the red, tear-streaked faces of the three teenagers, reached into a hidden panel beside the glove compartment and handed them three moist hot towels.

Kaoru smiled gratefully as he passed a towel to Haruhi, then Hikaru, and then proceeded to wipe off his own face. Once they were refreshed, the trio tossed their towels into a plastic bag Hiroki held out for them. Then one by one, Hikaru once again leading Haruhi by the hand, they exited the limousine and walked quickly through the doors of the emergency room. Hiroki bowed to them as they left him to park the limo.

The receptionist who greeted them was extremely polite to them, and pointed them in the direction of a private waiting area, which had been reserved for them alone because they were friends of the Ohtori family. She then pressed a button on her phone to inform Kyouya that Haruhi and the Hitachiins had arrived. Kyouya would be pleased to hear that. Haruhi thanked the woman and followed the twins through the double doors, but then she was taken aback by the surprisingly luxurious emergency room area of this private hospital.

This private waiting room in the Ohtori-owned hospital was nothing like any typical emergency room Haruhi recognized. This waiting room more closely resembled the lobby of a five-star hotel, except for the presence of bright recessed lighting in the ceiling and the absence of any carpeting. Several deep crimson-colored plush sofas had been set along the walls, away from the reception desk, and elaborate oil paintings of many prominent members of the Ohtori family rested above them, including, as Haruhi noted, Yoshio Ohtori, Kyouya's father and the hospital owner. An artificial waterfall made with obsidian and bearing the kanji for the name Ohtori in gold took up the back wall, set against marble and jade. Crystal water gently flowed down into its basin as a way of relaxing anxious people who waited to hear about their loved ones. And of course, several exotic plants took their residence near the ceiling in shiny brass pots set in neatly-rowed columns between the sofas.

The room was empty except for two somewhat familiar figures sitting on the far right sofa close to the waterfall. Squinting her eyes, Haruhi noted that one of the figures slept softly in a cute pink blanket while the other cradled him on his lap and watched him, humming in a deep yet surprisingly melodious voice. The second person looked up suddenly and faced her. Takashi Morinozuka—Mori-senpai as he was known—stopped humming and regarded Haruhi with relief and concern in his dark slate-gray eyes. He wanted to go over to her and offer her sympathy, but because of the smaller boy sleeping soundly on his lap, he could not do so immediately.

Fortunately, after Mori stopped humming, the stuffed pink bunny that his charge was holding slipped to the floor soundlessly. A soft moan escaped the childlike blond boy once he lost his grip on the stuffed animal, and he slowly opened his eyes. Mitsukuni Haninozuka, known as Hani-senpai to most of his fellow host club members, wiped his eyes for a moment to get them to focus. Once they had, he glanced up at his cousin Mori and then followed his line of sight to where three younger students were standing and watching them.

"Haru-chan!" Hani instantly leapt off Mori's lap and made a beeline for his junior classmates. The Hitachiin brothers each took a step away as Hani jumped into Haruhi's arms and held her tightly. Tears streamed down his face from his cocoa-colored eyes and he buried his face in her neck. "I'm so sorry, Haru-chan! I'm so sorry…"

As the deceptively youthful blond boy continued to offer condolences to Haruhi, Mori picked up the stuffed bunny known as Usa-chan, and stood up to meet his fellow classmates. He towered over all four of the adolescents and walked with long, purposeful strides towards them.

"Mitsukuni…" He softly spoke to Hani while holding Usa-chan out to him. Hani stopped hugging Haruhi and jumped down to retrieve his pink bunny from the more taciturn, yet much taller dark-haired young man who served him. After thanking Mori, he turned back toward Haruhi and handed her the bunny as a means of offering comfort to the distraught young woman.

"Thank you, Hani-senpai." Haruhi responded, hugging the stuffed animal to the side of her face, feeling the velvety-soft pink fur from the still-warm bunny rabbit.

At that moment, the double doors leading to the outer hall opened simultaneously, and Tamaki Suoh rushed up to the small group, concern and anxiety lining his otherwise vibrant dark blue eyes. He smiled brightly for his princess, but could not completely camouflage the pain and grief he felt for her. Following Tamaki at a more sedate and precise pace was Kyouya Ohtori. He regarded the group impassively at first, but upon making eye contact with the small girl, he narrowed his cold dark eyes slightly in disapproval, silently rebuking Haruhi for her earlier reckless actions. But just as quickly as it appeared, the anger receded. Chewing out the already exhausted girl would be counterproductive and pointless. Besides, Kyouya reasoned, Hikaru probably took care of the chastisement for him.

Kyouya made a mental note to thank Hikaru later. For now, he needed to address the group.

"I see you made it here safely," he stated simply while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose in his usual nonchalant way.

"Kyouya-senpai!" Haruhi exclaimed when she heard his soft yet coolly clipped voice. Then she suddenly became nervous and clutched Usa-chan tighter in her arms. "How's my father?"

"I spoke with the doctor in charge of treating Ranka-san. Thankfully, his injuries aren't as bad as we feared. He has second degree burns on his arms and face and he suffered from some smoke inhalation, but nothing life-threatening. The reason he's alive however, is because he jumped from the second floor balcony down to the street. Because of that, he has two broken legs and a broken arm, as well as various other scrapes and bruises. He's sleeping right now, and he's being monitored for any signs of internal injuries, which he doesn't appear to have," Kyouya reported as he re-opened his notebook and started scratching in some undecipherable notes as a way of clearing his head.

Haruhi breathed a huge sigh of relief and smiled for the first time since the nightmarish events surrounding her life had begun. Now that she knew her father was alive and would be okay, she felt like things were going to be all right after all. "Can I see him, Kyouya-senpai? Are visitors allowed this time of night?" Haruhi asked hopefully, but then she started to feel funny. She gasped at the new sensations that had just begun to grip her, as she felt the blood draining out of her face and head, leaving her face a sickly shade of white.

The fatigue that she had successfully held off because of her overriding fear for her father was suddenly catching up to her. After many hours of studying in the library and enduring the horrible events of the evening, Haruhi felt dizziness blindsiding her. Exhaustion burned her warm coffee-colored eyes as her vision blurred and the room began to spin faster than an insane amusement park ride. She slapped her hand on her forehead and was barely aware of the sounds of frantic shouting around her. People were calling her name, and she couldn't respond coherently. The extreme tiredness coiled around her and rendered her completely helpless against its power.

Then she felt herself plunging into a black abyss of unconsciousness. Her last thought as she passed out was that she probably would not be holding her father's hand tonight.

As she fell towards the icy marble floor, a set of long, well-muscled arms snaked around her back. Mori-senpai had moved the fastest of the host club members and prevented the young woman from hitting the ground and possibly hitting her head. The dark-haired senior held her in his arms while the other boys reacted to Haruhi's sudden predicament. Hani once again started to cry softly and called her name while clutching Mori's elbow with one hand and grabbing Usa-chan with the other after Haruhi lost her grip on the rabbit. Hikaru moved to Mori's left side and stroked his long slim fingers through Haruhi's soft yet still ash-covered hair. Kaoru stood near Hikaru and held the girl's tiny limp hand, swallowing hard as he felt how cold and clammy it was. Tamaki broke out in tears and cradled his vulnerable little princess's face between his large hands, begging her to come back to them.

Kyouya, however, stepped back from where the others were mobbed around their friend and with swift, efficient fingers, dialed a number on his phone to summon a doctor. He then walked briskly up to the double doors and beckoned the middle-aged woman in the white coat to the small crowed around the still-unconscious Haruhi. The severely-dressed woman in glasses waved the boys away and examined the sallow-complexioned student carefully. After a few minutes, she turned and addressed Kyouya.

"It appears to be only exhaustion, but I would like to keep her here overnight just to be safe."

Kyouya nodded. "I agree, Tanaka-sensei. She's had a difficult night. A good night's sleep will do her some good. We'll take care of the rest tomorrow." He then addressed his friends. "We can put Haruhi in the room next to Ranka-san. It's empty. This way, please." He did not wait for the others to follow, but fell in step with Dr. Tanaka and together, the two led the way out of the grandiose waiting room.

Mori looked down at his sleeping friend and sighed morosely. He then followed Kyouya and the doctor, while the other boys walked behind them, all of them lamenting Haruhi's terrible predicament, and hoping they could help her recover.

A string of rooms lined the silent and dimly-lit corridor, and near the end of the hall on the left was a room with the name plate, Ryoji Fujioka—Ranka-san's room. Kyouya's gaze lingered on the door for a few moments before he continued to lead the crowd behind him to the next room. He opened the door and directed his classmates—Mori leading the way—to a soft, white, turned-down bed behind a blue curtain. To the left of the bed was a view of the starlit night sky and the full moon. A gentle light from the moonbeams filtered into the room. Mori walked up and gently placed Haruhi onto the bed and slowly swept his massive hand through her hair, even though he knew the young woman couldn't feel anything right now.

_Sleep little one_ was the message Mori conveyed with that one simple touch.

After Mori stepped away, Hani moved forward and tucked Usa-chan between Haruhi's arm and forearm and clasped her still-cold fingers tightly. Although his tears had stopped flowing, he still had streaks around his face and he was reluctant to leave Haruhi alone in the room. Mori watched Hani for a moment, then picked him up and led him out of the room, assuring him that Usa-chan would watch over her tonight. Hani rubbed his eyes, feeling his own tiredness from the evening's events start to claim him again. Soon the childlike blond slumbered in his cousin's arms, and like a powerful guardian angel, Mori held Hani to his chest as he strode down the corridor towards the parking garage where their limos waited.

Hikaru held Haruhi up slightly as Kaoru removed the dark blue ash-coated jacket around Haruhi's shoulders. Kaoru then removed Haruhi's shoes and socks, taking note of her pitifully swollen feet. He shook his head sadly and gave his brother a pained look. Hikaru met his brother's morose amber eyes with an equally saddened look of his own. Then Hikaru took the jacket from Kaoru and held it close to his cheek for a moment, ignoring the faint yet pungent smell of smoke on it before he carefully draped it over his shoulder. Kaoru folded Haruhi's socks inside her shoes, and carried them in his hand. Even though they were sticky with sweat and smelled smoky, Kaoru treated his friend's well-worn loafers with care, as if they were a set of the most fashionable shoes ever made.

The twins decided they would take the jacket and shoes home and have them cleaned for their friend since they were fairly certain that Kyouya and Tamaki would disapprove of the auburn-haired "devil boys" spending the night in the same room with her. Two sets of watchful eyes--one set hidden behind serious, gold-framed glasses and the other slightly-narrowed set sparkling deep violet blue--confirmed their assumptions. Dr. Tanaka also watched the twins as Kyouya instructed her, making sure they only took off her coat, shoes, and socks. Decorum had to be maintained, and Dr. Tanaka could take care of the rest herself.

"Haruhi needs her rest," Kyouya stated simply, noting the anguished looks on Tamaki's and the twins' faces. The three of them felt the strongest attachments to Haruhi, and they would have loved nothing better than to stay by her side and be with her when she woke up. Kyouya secretly didn't blame them for feeling this way; despite his seeming coldness towards the newest Host club member, he had a certain fondness for Haruhi. But because his father Yoshio was getting regular reports on his youngest son, assessing him for his eligibility to become heir to their family's corporation, Kyouya knew he would have to retain his façade. Still, he indulged himself a little by peering at Haruhi's face closely and whispering in her ear, "We'll be back. Wait for us."

Finally, Tamaki picked up the soft baby blue velvet blanket at the end of the bed and draped it over the sleeping girl lovingly. He then smoothed the blanket around her shoulders in a soothing, almost maternal gesture, an unconscious habit from his childhood. As he finished smoothing the blanket, he touched Haruhi's icy pale cheek and frowned worriedly. He didn't like the idea of leaving Haruhi alone tonight when she looked so helpless. He turned his face toward his best friend Kyouya and silently pleaded with him to let him stay with her. Kyouya, however, shook his head in refusal.

"She'll be fine here, Tamaki. Tanaka-sensei is a very capable doctor, and I think Haruhi will be much more comfortable seeing another woman when she wakes up." Kyouya reassured the tall and slender blond whose face fell even lower than it already was. Tamaki Suoh was known for being a melodramatic prince in the club, but he genuinely cared for Haruhi Fujioka and hated seeing her in pain. It made his heart hurt to leave her, but he silently consoled himself with the fact that she was at least safe and warm. Tamaki took one last look at their beloved princess before reluctantly following Kyouya and the twins out of the room, leaving Dr. Tanaka alone with her.

TBC

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I had to work and re-work this chapter. It's tough to keep it real, so your thoughts are welcome. As I said, much remains to be done. Thank you for all your reviews! Hope Tamaki and Kyouya came off as being in character. I'm pretty sure I did good with Hani and Mori.

Also I used "Hani" as the spelling for Mitsukuni's nickname because it just seemed more consistent. And I didn't want to kill off Ranka-san right now. So I'm sorry if I've disappointed anyone out there by not doing so.

Still, I have an idea for some fanart: Mori as an angel holding Hani in his arms. Might be interesting. Any artists out there?

Until next time.


	5. Harm

_**Disclaimer**__: Bisco Hatori owns this wonderful manga, not me. Please don't sue me. Thank you._

_Note: This chapter is a re-post with some additional text. Hope you like it._

CHAPTER 5: HARM

The morning sunlight and a soft breeze from the open window played across the young girl's face as she slowly opened her eyes. Haruhi reached up to rub her eyes to bring them into focus after waking from a set of troubling dreams. Her head ached slightly, and her body felt leaden, but she was nowhere near as exhausted as she had felt the night before.

Then her memory started to come back.

"Dad!" Haruhi shot up in bed causing the blue blanket laying across her shoulders to flop into her lap. Then she noticed that something soft had been cradled in her right hand that was no longer there. She looked around for whatever it was and then took in her surroundings. She was in a small private hospital room that overlooked a nearby park. Haruhi squinted against the bright sunlight and figured that it was still relatively early in the morning. She sighed and brought her knees up to her chest, thinking about her father and where he was.

"Well good morning, Fujioka-san. I hope you slept well." A contralto feminine voice broke into her thoughts and caused Haruhi to turn in its direction. Dr. Tanaka stood in the doorway watching her patient carefully. The older woman then crossed the room briskly and picked up Usa-chan, who had dropped on the floor. Haruhi accepted the stuffed pink bunny graciously, but her smile faded when she thought about how much she had worried her friends. The doctor then gave Haruhi a glass of water to help her feel a little better since her voice sounded a little scratchy. Haruhi drank the water in two gulps and spoke again.

"What happened to me? The last thing I remember clearly was meeting up with everyone in the emergency room. But after I heard about my father I just…passed out." Haruhi shook the last of the sleep out of her head, remembering how she had wanted to see her father and then waking up in a bed in the Ohtori hospital. She then looked down at herself and noticed that her clothes had been changed. The purple silk pajamas were amazingly comfortable and no doubt expensive looking. _I wonder how much more debt I've accumulated just by wearing these things?_ Haruhi thought while biting her lower lip.

"My father. I heard he was all right." Haruhi tried to sound more coherent for the doctor despite still being exhausted. "Can I see him?"

Dr. Tanaka looked at the girl steadily for a moment, then sighed. "He's still asleep, Fujioka-san, and it might not be a good idea right now."

"Why? I wouldn't wake him up. I just want him to know that he's not alone in his recovery. I know he's injured right now, but I heard from Kyouya that he didn't have any life-threatening problems." Haruhi was anxious to know why she couldn't see her father at this time. She stared down at her clenched fists and took a few cleansing breaths to clear her head.

The older woman wasn't sure how to respond. Even though Kyouya had said at the time that her father's injuries weren't life-threatening, there was always the chance that complications could arise from the broken bones in his arm and leg. From what her colleagues had told her, Ryoji had sustained a compound fracture in his shin, and would have a very hard time trying to walk again. Dr. Tanaka was grateful that this particular hospital had very advanced technology when it came to repairing bones and treating burns, but even so, he had to be watched for complications. And even if he was able to heal physically, there was also the likelihood of extensive psychological damage since Ryoji had lived in that apartment all his married life with his family. Just the trauma of losing everything dear to him would make his recovery that much more difficult.

Still, Dr. Tanaka put on a cheerier face to reassure the worried Haruhi, who had wondered why the doctor didn't answer her right away. "Well, your friends will be arriving later, so maybe you'd like to see them first. Maybe when your father wakes up, he'll want to see you." Perhaps if she diverted her patient's attention away from Ryoji's condition, she could boost the young girls' morale, if only for just a little while.

_But it's Monday. They're probably at school_. Haruhi thought after glancing out the window at the masses of people going to work and school. Then she remembered that she was probably going to miss her calculus exam today and would have to make it up later when she got back, which hopefully would be in the next day or two. But the exam was the last thing she was worried about.

A knock at the door interrupted her reverie and a young nurse poked her head inside the room. Dr. Tanaka excused herself and walked over to where the nurse was standing. After a few whispered words between the two, the doctor thanked the nurse and turned back toward Haruhi as the door shut once again.

"Well, Haruhi-san, it turns out that your father is awake now." Dr. Tanaka noticed Haruhi's face brighten considerably. But the doctor sounded faintly troubled. After her conversation with the nurse, she hated to think how Haruhi would react when she saw Ryoji for the first time since the fire.

Nevertheless, Haruhi immediately turned down the blanket on her bed and got out of it, hoping that she would have a chance to look in on him and reassure him that things would ultimately turn out okay. She wanted to see him so badly she completely ignored Dr. Tanaka calling for her to wait and she opened the door, leaving it open as she opened the door to the next room that Ranka-san occupied.

"Dad!" Haruhi called as she started to run up to the bed, but then she stopped a few feet away when it suddenly registered that her father didn't answer her. He normally would have been calling out to _her _first. Haruhi stared for a long time at the pale figure on the bed who didn't even acknowledge her presence, but continued to stare out the window. From his profile, she could tell that his face was set in a completely shell-shocked expression, but looked otherwise relatively undamaged. Both of his legs and his right arm, however, had large cumbersome white casts on them. Clearly, mobility was out of the question for the former crossdresser.

Then Ryoji Fujioka sighed in sadness and turned his head slowly to face his daughter.

Haruhi held back a gasp when she saw the large bandage covering up a large part of the left side of her father's face where he had suffered some nasty burns. Ranka tried to open his mouth a little more to speak to his daughter, but then he winced in pain from the burnt skin that had been bandaged over and he shut his mouth again. Instead, he gestured with his relatively uninjured hand for Haruhi to approach the bed. The young girl obeyed.

"Dad, I'm so glad you're alive. I was so afraid." More tears teased at the corners of the mousy girl's large eyes, and she carefully cradled Ranka's heavily-bandaged hand in both of her hands. Ranka tried to smile, but the pain from the burns he suffered once again prevented him from expressing the relief he felt knowing his daughter had escaped such horrible injuries. He turned up the corners of his mouth as much as he could without too much discomfort, and carefully spread out his uninjured arm to hug her lightly.

"How do you feel?" Haruhi asked as she hugged him back, and then released herself to look her father. She put on her brave face again and hoped she looked convincingly optimistic for her father's sake. Who knows what he had been through? And since his face had been burned on one side, moving his mouth was very hard. Still, for the sake of his daughter, he opened his mouth again, ignoring the pain as much as he could, and whispered sadly in her ear.

"It hurts…"

Those short, anguished words that came out of Ryoji Fujioka's mouth made Haruhi's heart seize up. Even though her father's voice was barely audible, it resonated through the young girl's soul as if it were an agonized shout. Haruhi looked her father in the eyes and swallowed roughly. The man lying bandaged in front of her was still her father, but at the same time he was not the person she knew as her father. The fire had damaged him…maybe permanently. She was totally lost as to how to comfort him or to reassure him that things would ultimately be all right.

_Mother in heaven, he looks awful._

Ryoji regarded his little girl dejectedly. To his relief, she had at least been undamaged physically except for the remnants of exhaustion which clung to her along with a small amount of ash remaining in her hair. Haruhi had always been a very strong young lady, much like her mother. She would get through this much better than he would.

The injured man then turned to look at his heavily-bandaged legs, and briefly wondered if he would have been better off if he had allowed himself to burn to death in the fire. Now that he couldn't walk, he wouldn't be able to provide for his daughter. He felt useless, and scared. Turning back towards his concerned daughter, he tried again to smile at her, but there was none of the original mirth that would have been there only a few short days ago. It was all for show, just like his former job had been.

"Haruhi-san…" Dr. Tanaka quietly called to her young patient from the doorway, and once again, Haruhi's attention was diverted to the middle-aged woman standing there with her hands folded in front of her. "I think we should let your father get some rest."

Haruhi looked back at her father, and smiled slightly for him. "Please feel better, Dad. I want you to get well. I'll be back again to visit. In the meantime, I want you to do your best to recover." She then kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Daddy."

As the door closed behind the two women, Ryoji gazed back down at his bandaged legs and burned arms. Briefly, he thought of his late wife, Kotoko, who was one of the bravest, most driven, most beautiful women he had ever known. She also would have wanted him to do his best to get better, even if he had to go through some of the most torturous physical and psychological treatments to achieve that goal. But if there was even a slim hope that he could recover, he would try for the sake of the equally beautiful daughter Kotoko had given him.

_Please watch over us, Kotoko._ Ryoji Fujioka thought as he settled back against the pillows and allowed a slightly less fitful sleep to claim him.

Back in her room, Haruhi sat back down in the bed and remained lost in thought. Her father was in terrible shape, and wouldn't be able to walk for quite some time. She knew he would need a lot of help to regain his mobility and would also need treatment for any lingering psychological trauma.

"Tanaka-sensei… What happens now? Is there anything I can do to help him?" she asked the doctor who folded the blanket over the young woman.

"At this point, Haruhi-san, he needs a lot of rest and recovery before he can start trying to walk again. As you know, both his legs were broken, and he suffered a compound fracture, which takes longer to heal," Dr. Tanaka stated quietly while handing her patient another glass of water and watching her take a few sips. Haruhi set the glass down on the table and regarded the doctor resolutely.

"I want to be there for him. His state of mind really scares me, Tanaka-sensei." Haruhi murmured. She clutched Usa-chan to her chest once again and thought of how she had come to this state of being. Just a few days ago, she would have been fixing breakfast and listening to Ranka-san regale her with stories about how he met her mother, or how things were going at the bar, or the semi-regular correspondences he received from his friend Misuzu in Karuizawa. Family life was routine, but fun and happy, even with her mother present only in spirit.

Now things would never be the same again. Haruhi was certain that she had even lost her mother's ashes in the fire. Her mother was truly gone now.

"I know that you want to be there for your father, Haruhi-san. That's a good thing. But he needs a lot of time to recover. And so do you. Now please get some rest. Your friends will be here later to see you, and I've been instructed to keep you here until they arrive." Dr. Tanaka replied, nodding to a nearby nurse with a clipboard who proceeded with her duty of checking over Haruhi. Once she had finished and left the room with the doctor, Haruhi picked up the television remote and turned on the T.V., hoping to distract herself until her friends came to see her.

Unfortunately, the very first image that came up on the screen was the last thing she had ever wanted to see or hear about.

In front of Haruhi's wide chocolate eyes was footage of her former home glowing in the midst of the nightmarish conflagration that had ultimately destroyed it. Even worse, the newscaster who reported this destruction sounded so impassive and detached, as though he was reporting on some random activity from the community calendar. The young girl's fist clenched reflexively as the reporter rattled off the facts of the fire.

"…Broke out about 9:45 last night. According to firefighters, the cause of the blaze was due to worn-out, overloaded wiring. The apartment's former tenants have either moved in with relatives or are living in several nearby emergency shelters."

Then Haruhi's heart froze as she heard the absolute worst comments ever made in the history of "professional" journalism.

"In this newscaster's opinion, the cause of the blaze comes as no surprise considering how old and dilapidated that apartment complex was. It was bound to happen sooner or later." The reporter threw up his right arm dramatically. "Whoosh! Up in smoke, just like that."

Haruhi's face contorted with fury at the reporter's insensitive words and she snarled fiercely at his sanctimonious face. It took all her willpower to keep from adding to her debt by pelting the remote control at the television. Instead she angrily jammed the button on the remote and shut off the infernal machine.

_Who the hell does that guy think he is? Doesn't he give the slightest damn about the people who once lived there?_

To Haruhi's relief, the nurse walked in with a stack of magazines so then she could at least read while she waited for Kyouya and the others to return for her.

TBC

A/N: A thousand and one apologies to my fine audience. I have been dealing with a lot these past few months, including school, work, and the peaceful passing of one of my beloved corgis. But she had had a long happy life. It was time.

Also, after looking over this chapter again, I came to the inalterable conclusion that it just needed a little more writing to it. I hope the additional text has enhanced what was formerly the shortest chapter of my work.

The Demon of Writer's Block and the A.D.D. Gremlins are also interfering. The only thing I know for certain is that Haruhi will only accept help from the Host Club members if they help her father as well as the other tenants in her former home. And we all know that's a pretty tall order, even for six rich boys from elite families. Well, maybe not in Tamaki's case; I'm fairly certain he'd spend his entire family's fortune to help Haruhi if it weren't for a certain someone who will be making an (unwelcome) appearance. Can you guess who?

But we'll see what happens. We shall see.

Thank you for your patience and reviews.


	6. Inimical

Disclaimer: Host Club isn't mine

_Disclaimer: Host Club isn't mine. Please don't sue me. You won't get much. _

CHAPTER 6: INIMICAL

_Ouran High School, Third Music Room…_

Tamaki was struggling with his emotions again when it came to Haruhi Fujioka. He remembered thought about how he had to leave her at the hospital in the care of a doctor he had never met. She had looked so fragile and delicate under the velvet blanket with Usa-chan tucked under her arm and his heart ached at being apart from her. At that time he had wanted at that moment to take her home and wrap her in his arms, shielding her from the harshness of the world around her. He would have happily given her a home under the roof of the mansion he currently inhabited. He would have given her a home under the roof of any of the mansions within his grand family.

That is, Tamaki would have given Haruhi shelter if his grandmother hadn't voiced her objections with venomous accusations and abuse directed at not only her grandson, but his friend as well. After school had finished for the day, Tamaki had met with his father to discuss giving Haruhi a room at the second Suoh mansion because of her current state of living.

The blond had had no problems convincing the ever-compassionate Yuzuru Suoh once he relayed his story to the chairman, but then his grandmother had shown up unexpectedly at his office with her secretary and lawyer. She had apparently heard from Shima and Yuzuru's secretary what the chairman was discussing with the boy, and was livid at the very idea of accommodating _anyone _below her social status. She made that sentiment more than clear to both her wayward son and impertinent grandson, despite both of them trying to sway her.

Tamaki left his father's office with tears blurring his expressive eyes, nearly bumping into an elderly woman and her companions as he strode toward the building's exit. After a muttered apology and a hasty bow, he made his way back to the Third Music Room to compose himself after that terrible confrontation in his father's office. His grief at not being able to shelter Haruhi was piercing his heart and it had clouded what little rationality he had at the time. The Host Club king closed his eyes in pain as he recalled his grandmother's vicious words.

_Just a little while ago in Chairman Suoh's office…_

"_Am I to understand that filthy halfbreed wants to bring some…lower class girl into one of my mansions?" The Suoh matriarch glared at both her son and grandson, and her eyes narrowed into heated steel at the sight of the half-French Tamaki. No matter how much the boy tried to ingratiate himself to the older woman, all she would see when she looked at him was the face of that slut who had led her son astray._

_To her, Tamaki's birth was an unforgivable sin._

"_Please, Grandmother. She lost everything in that fire and she's homeless. Her father is lying in a lot of pain in a hospital bed, and from what Kyouya told me he'll need months of treatment and therapy before he can work again. She won't be any trouble, I promise. And she's really sweet and wonderful if you get to know her." Tamaki attempted to appeal to his grandmother as humbly as he could, but she was adamant._

"_I will not have that worthless commoner trash inhabiting any of my mansions!" Her gravelly, contempt-filled voice could be heard from outside the chairman's office. "I honestly do not see why I am wasting time discussing the matter with you or that half-breed boy, Yuzuru. To think, the low-class daughter of a cross-dressing pervert under my roof. I will never allow it." _

_Tamaki's heart stung with immeasurable sadness at hearing his grandmother speaking so horribly of Haruhi and Ranka. Over his years of living in Japan, the half-French blond youth had grown used to being an object of hatred and scorn for the eighty-two year old Sayoko Suoh. He could withstand her withering verbal abuse as long as it was only directed towards him. But then she had to bring Haruhi into her line of fire…_

"_Grandmother, I beg you. I will do whatever you ask, and she really is a wonderful girl…"_

"_I said no, and that's my final word on the matter!" With that, Sayoko abruptly ended the conversation. With her eyes glaring at her grandson and her nose haughtily held in the air, she stood up and stalked towards the sunlit window flanked by her personal secretary on her left side and her lawyer on her right. _

_Tamaki was devastated. He turned to his father and whispered to him so his grandmother wouldn't hear. She had tuned out the sound of his voice anyway after she voiced her decision._

"_Father, I can't take her talking about Haruhi that way. It hurts me so much. Why is it that she automatically hates everything and everybody that I care about?" He rested his chin on top of his hands and set his elbows on the table where tea had been set. _

"_Tamaki, I'm sorry Mother said those things about your friend." Yuzuru replied to his son. He was also upset with the way his mother had slammed the brilliant commoner student that he himself liked. "But we can't let Haruhi stay in our mansions, no matter how much we may want to. Mother is very traditional and class-conscious because of her royal lineage. And as much as you or I may not like it, she does hold the final authority in this family as long as she is alive. You know what she is capable of doing."_

"_Yes, Father, I understand." Tamaki responded softly, shuddering at what kind of power his grandmother wielded. He silently recalled that Sayoko Suoh had absolute authority over all financial matters in the family. If he or his father dared to cross her, she could disinherit Tamaki immediately. She would also have no reservations about pulling all monetary aid to Tamaki's ailing and missing mother, causing his beautiful mother an agonizing death. _

_The blond youth also reflected on the fact that his grandmother could withdraw the money financing Haruhi's scholarship, and then Haruhi would have to leave Ouran forever. "So if Haruhi can't have a room in any Suoh mansion, I'll speak to Kyouya about where she should live. Thank you for your time, Father and Grandmother. Please excuse me." _

_Tamaki knew that there were always other options to consider, and there was no way he would allow his princess to live in a homeless shelter. With a determined look on his face, he bowed to his father and grandmother and left the office._

"Tono."

Tamaki's eyes snapped open upon hearing Hikaru Hitachiin's nasally voice. He looked to his left shoulder and noticed the elder twin eyeing him quizzically.

"Are you all right?" Another voice echoed over his right shoulder. Kaoru Hitachiin took his hand off Tamaki's shoulder and moved in front of him.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I'm just worried about Haruhi. She has no place to stay. I tried getting her a place at one of my family's mansions, but my grandmother just refused. She even called Haruhi worthless commoner trash!" Tears leaked out of Tamaki's eyes at the words that his grandmother spat out of her mouth as if she was spitting out something vile.

The twins regarded Tamaki steadily, which immediately piqued the half-French blond's attention. Normally, Hikaru and Kaoru would have reacted angrily to hearing their classmate had been disrespected by someone they despised. But the fact that they didn't immediately vow to avenge Haruhi was reason enough for Tamaki to suspect that the twins had set some unknown plan into motion. When the twins stayed quiet, Tamaki tentatively broke the silence.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, just what is going on?" He didn't like the twins being quiet. It made him think of the time they were cold and nasty to those around them. Even if it was coldness borne out of frustration at the outside world, that was still no excuse for the way they treated their classmates, particularly the girls.

But then Hikaru and Kaoru smiled mischievously at their blond-haired senior. "Don't worry about your grandmother. That part's covered."

"How? You know what kind of power my grandmother has. You can't go up against her. And how are you going to protect Haruhi from her?"

Hikaru slung his hands around his brother's shoulder. "Let's just say that we know someone who would love nothing better than to put that nasty old bat in her place." The elder twin had no compunction about expressing his opinion of Tamaki's grandmother even if he was in the presence of his blond friend. The way Hikaru saw it, anyone who could gain the hatred of even Hani-senpai didn't deserve _any_ sort of respect.

"What are you talking about?" Tamaki asked the still-smiling twins, who guided him arm-in-arm to the sofa and sat on either side of him. They sensed that the Host Club King was getting irritated at being left out of the current state of affairs, and wasted no time in satisfying his curiosity before he could put on one of his usual emotional displays. Hikaru and Kaoru were in no mood for any emotional spazzes from their lord at the current time.

"We have a very strong ally working for us. She's probably taking down that granny of yours right now," Kaoru told him. "Think, Tono. Did you see anyone as you were leaving the chairman's office?"

The question blindsided the Host Club King. What did that have to do with Haruhi? Why were those devil boys asking random questions about the day's events? What sort of evil were they plotting?

And then he remembered.

"Yes. I almost bumped into an old lady and some servants, but how is that important? I didn't look much at her. I just apologized and left because I just can't deal with what my grandmother said about Haruhi. I should have stood up to her some more, but I don't want to make trouble for Father. I just _had _to be the good boy." More hot tears were welling up in Tamaki's eyes, making the twins sigh in exasperation.

"Tono. Trust us. It'll be okay. Our ally actually knew your grandmother way back when, and she knows how to squelch her." Hikaru smirked and then took his arm off Tamaki.

"And she'll make sure that granny of yours doesn't try anything against Haruhi." Kaoru added as he handed Tamaki a handkerchief and then promptly turned his face away when the Host Club king _blew his nose into it_.

Hikaru also averted his eyes. _Gross, Tono. That's just gross._

After Tamaki had finished composing himself, he stood up and faced the Hitachiin brothers. "Well then, we should prepare to go and see Haruhi and her father." Without looking back (or giving back the handkerchief, which Kaoru wouldn't have taken anyway) the Host Club King gathered the other members of the club who had walked in unnoticed.

"Let's go see our princess," he declared with his usual grandiosity.

TBC

A/N: Here is another chapter for your perusal. It takes me awhile to write these things because I want to make sure that it meets my standards.

And anyway as a side note, I know it's considered bad taste to blow your nose in front of others, and normally Tamaki would abide by this rule. But seeing as how he's more than a little upset about what "that nasty old bat" said about Haruhi…well, I guess he can be afforded the dubious luxury of forgetting his manners a little provided he straightens up once he sees his "daughter."

The next chapter…well, I hope you like it. If I may be biased, it was my favorite chapter to write so far. You'll see why once you read it. rubs hands evilly Heh heh.


	7. Antagonists

Summary: Mrs

_**Disclaimer**__: Bisco Hatori owns this wonderful manga, not me. Please don't sue me. Thank you._

CHAPTER 7: ANTAGONISTS

Author's note: Fair warning to the reader, this chapter deviates from the main storyline, but it was also the most fun for me to write. Hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it.

_Inside the chairman's office…_

Not long after her grandson's departure, Sayoko Suoh turned from the window she was staring out of and faced her son. She had refused to look at the half-French blond even after he left, and what little patience she had was all but gone. Clearly, this…child would never be a proper heir to the Suoh family if he kept on this current path. He was totally unfit and unclean in every way in the eyes of the Suoh matriarch. But because the cause of her distaste was no longer in her presence, Sayoko turned to a more convenient target for expressing her anger.

"Still loud and unorthodox I see. He acts nothing like a proper Suoh. Are you that incapable of disciplining him, Yuzuru?"

Before the chairman could respond to his mother's scathing question, the door to his office opened again. His secretary bowed low to the office's two occupants before she addressed Yuzuru. "I apologize for the interruption, Suoh-sama, but there's someone here to see you. She says she's an old schoolmate of your mother's." Those words caused Tamaki's grandmother to look at the younger woman sharply. She could not recall any of her old friends being alive at this present time.

Yuzuru frowned slightly at the interruption, but nodded politely to the secretary. He wished he could somehow blame her for informing his mother of what he and his son had discussed, but since the primly-dressed young lady answered to Sayoko as well as to him, he bit back any accusations. Besides, he didn't want to sink to his mother's level by starting to sound like her. Instead he simply told her, "Send her in."

"Yes sir." the woman responded neutrally, once again bowing low before bringing in the unexpected guest. "This way please, madam."

An unusually flamboyant elderly woman stood in the doorway flanked by two female servants. She had long gray hair which she had tied in an ornate geisha-like hairstyle. A large orchid rested on the right side of her head tucked primly behind her ear, which gave the woman a unique and stylish look. Her slightly-wrinkled face had high cheekbones and she had flashy amber eyes with barely-perceptible crow's feet around the edges. Her kimono was brilliantly colored with a black-and-purple floral design which fitted her perfectly. No part of the outfit was creased or sloppy, and even her obi was precisely detailed with a beautiful floral pattern of its own that complimented the kimono in a way no other sash would.

The woman was taller than Sayoko and looked rather youthful for her eighty-four years. She was also slender and she had a commanding presence about her, despite being bent over due to age. Although she was evidently of wealthy lineage, there was nothing haughty or stuffy about her mannerisms. As a matter of fact, her face was kind and almost playful. And a refreshing change from the sad and angry faces that Yuzuru had had to endure up until this point.

"Hitachiin-sama, welcome. Please, have a seat." Yuzuru bowed and acknowledged Hikaru and Kaoru's grandmother as she swept into the room gracefully yet slowly because of her age. Akemi Hitachiin nodded to the chairman and then faced her old school rival.

"It's been a while, Sayoko-chan." Those words caused Tamaki's grandmother to wince and narrow her eyes in anger. Only that brazen Hitachiin woman would dare address her in such an informal way. Never mind that Akemi was two years older than Sayoko even though she looked ten years younger, but the flowery old woman had to rub it in by acting as if they were still in school. Not wishing to make a scene, however, Sayoko swallowed heavily to bite back any retort, and responded to the newcomer in a coldly civil tone.

"So it has, Akemi." Sayoko deliberately left out any honorific. "What brings you here?"

Smiling slightly, the matriarch of the Hitachiin family took Yuzuru's invitation and sat down on the sofa while her servants stood behind her silently. "I had a feeling that you wouldn't be too fond of the idea of Haruhi Fujioka living with your family. Clearly, Sayoko-chan, you are just so set in your ways it almost makes me laugh."

The matriarch of the Suoh family winced again at being addressed as if she were a child and glowered at the other woman, who graciously accepted some tea when Yuzuru's secretary offered it to her. After sipping the light green liquid, the twins' grandmother set down the cup and saucer and met Sayoko's glare with a forceful look of her own.

"I'll get to the point, Sayoko. Since you can't bring yourself to help a young lady in need, I will take her off your hands for you. Haruhi will be staying with my grandsons at my daughter's house. Even though Yuzuha is on a business trip until next week, she already knows of this arrangement. So she had a room prepared."

"Is that so?" Tamaki's grandmother responded neutrally, but with a hint of distaste. "So that little commoner whore can further the debauchery of those boys?"

Akemi's eyes narrowed at the other woman's mentioning of "those boys." Her beloved grandsons had only recently come out of their self-centered shells and were growing into wonderful young men thanks to their commoner friend. "Haruhi-chan has been nothing but a good influence on Hikaru-chan and Kaoru-chan. She's the first person they've met who has had no problems telling them apart, and she's been able to steady Hikaru-chan emotionally in such a way that even Kaoru-chan has not been able to do. I'm reminded more and more of my own son every day because of the kindness and unconditional love Haruhi-chan has shown my grandsons."

"How is bringing your late son into this conversation relevant, Akemi?" Sayoko asked as she sat down opposite her old schoolmate while Yuzuru's secretary served her another cup of tea. The Suoh matriarch barely acknowledged the young woman when she bowed low for the older woman.

"Perhaps it's because unlike in your family, every child in the Hitachiin family is loved and cherished unconditionally." Akemi picked up the cup and saucer and sipped her tea again. "I've noticed that over the years my grandsons and your grandson have gotten close as well. Tamaki-chan certainly helped them out of their so-called perfect little world. Too bad you'll never acknowledge the good person your grandson has become."

Sayoko glared at Akemi coldly. When she didn't say anything, Akemi continued.

"Maybe I'm not descended from the Seven Great Families, but that hardly matters. My family is still powerful in its own right. And I can promise you one thing." Akemi set down her tea cup and met Sayoko's gaze fearlessly. "If you, Sayoko Suoh, cause any trouble for my family, and yes, that includes Haruhi-chan, you will be very sorry. If you doubt my words, go ahead and try me."

Sayoko stared fixedly at the tea in her cup and reflected on what the Hitachiin matriarch had just said said. There was no telling what Akemi would do, or more precisely, what she would have her daughter and grandsons do. The Suoh matriarch didn't want to create an awkward or embarrassing situation for the family. But that's precisely what kind of situation that brazen Hitachiin woman would create. And if those boys and that half-breed were truly in cahoots with one another, familial embarrassment would be the least of her worries.

Akemi nonchalantly sipped her tea again, finishing the contents of the cup. "Well, I believe it is time for me to go." She stood up slowly and nodded to her servant girls, who bowed low for her. "I thank you both for your hospitality." Bowing to the other occupants of the room, she motioned to her servants, who followed her to the door.

But just before she left, she turned once again to her old rival. "Remember what I said, Sayoko. _If you doubt my words, go ahead and try me._"

For a brief second, the Suoh matriarch raised her eyebrows and blanched ever so slightly, but then covered it up before her son could see that small bit of weakness in her façade.

But Akemi caught it, and shot back a catlike smile. Then she was gone.

TBC

A/N: Whew! That was fun. Granted, it does indeed deviate from the main storyline, but with any luck, it will answer the question of where Haruhi stays. Besides, it was sort of fun having the twin's grandmother go up against Tamaki's grandmother. Someone had to shoot that old bat down, and I figure who better than one of her contemporaries. Wow, this opens things up to another set of possibilities…but I digress.

I got the feeling that Granny Suoh would ban Haruhi from her property solely on the grounds that she's a commoner. If she treats her own grandson, who at least has his father's lineage within him, like he's lower than dirt, imagine how she would treat Haruhi. But I have been wrong before, and for all I know, the cannon could have a completely different perspective. There's no telling what the great Hatori-sensei has in store in the manga (unless you've read that far ahead…but I digress AGAIN!).

Anywhoos, now that I've had my fun at seeing Granny Suoh squelched, as Hikaru put it, it's time to get back to Haruhi and the gang. Wish me luck, and read, review and feel free to offer suggestions if you like. And thank you again for your patience and for not flaming me.

I just wonder what the twins would say if they saw the confrontation…any ideas?


	8. Necessity

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own Ouran. I believe I've said that already. Thank you for keeping the lawyers away._

CHAPTER 8: NECESSITY

_Back at the Ohtori hospital…_

"_Welcome home, Kotoko."_

_The dirty blond-haired young man in a red plaid apron greeted the sharply-dressed yet very pregnant woman standing in the doorway of their apartment. Even though she could take maternity leave at this stage of her pregnancy, Kotoko Fujioka chose to continue championing her clients and winning cases for them. It was her secret hope that maybe her determination and courage would rub off on her unborn child._

"_Hello, Ryoji. Have you had a good day?" Kotoko removed her heels and then dropped her briefcase by the table casually. It had certainly been another long and strange day for her, but a victorious one nonetheless. She had seen yet another frivolous lawsuit dismissed, and was going to spend the next few days preparing a countersuit on the part of the former defendant. But for now, she could relax a little. "Who the hell sues someone over a misplaced obi?" _

_Ryoji stared slack-jawed at what his wife said. Were these the kinds of cases she always dealt with? He always figured she would be sending murders or armed robbers off to jail, or maybe settling cases of medical malpractice. Perhaps even arbitrating over a rental dispute of some sort…but a misplaced obi? People sued for everything nowadays, but even that was pretty ridiculous._

"_I don't know, Kotoko. People are weird and greedy I guess. Anyways, I made this wonderful stir fry dish that I found in that new recipe book you gave me. Want to try it?" Ryoji asked as he presented the sizzling hodgepodge of vegetables and meat on a plate and set it in front of his wife. He gestured grandly at the plate and said, "Please, enjoy, my lady."_

_Kotoko looked at the seriously overcooked dish in front of her but smiled graciously nonetheless. In her mind she immediately regretted giving him the book. Her husband was by no means an expert chef, judging by the dubious state of the vegetables and meat. She silently hoped that her child (whom she was fairly certain was a girl) would put the recipe book to better use and maybe even teach her father the finer points needed to make proper stir fry. _

_Still, for the sake of her beaming husband, and the fact that she was indeed feeling pretty hungry after such a long day, she decided she would try it. Maybe the food tasted better than it looked._

"_Well, let's eat." Kotoko took her chopsticks from the side of her plate and picked up a bamboo shoot while Ryoji fiddled with the rice cooker. She chewed the overcooked vegetable and savored its over-seasoned texture. This was hardly the kind of cooking that she was capable of creating, but she knew Ryoji had tried. She didn't want to discourage him. "Hm…this is definitely a new flavor to me. I had no idea you were so creative with spices, Ryoji." She hoped she sounded tactful enough for the young man who was busily scooping white rice into two bowls. Shouldn't he have had the rice on the table along with the main dish? _

"_It's quite tasty though." Kotoko finished. And she meant it. At least Ryoji had a cursory knowledge of stir fry, even if he still had a lot to learn. After all, she had tasted plenty worse vegetables when she was learning to cook. But why was she suddenly feeling funny?_

"_Here we go. Sorry but the rice cooker seems to be acting up again," the lawyer's husband announced while placing two bowls of rice on the table. Then he looked up sharply to see Kotoko looking like she was in some sort of pain. "Kotoko? What's wrong?"_

_Kotoko's face was flushed with perspiration, as if she was suddenly running a high fever, and she was clutching her stomach closely. Her breath was coming in ragged pants and her eyes were shut tightly against her discomfort. She got up and staggered a couple of steps before collapsing in her frantic husband's arms. _

"_Kotoko? Is it…time?" Ryoji had some of knowledge when it came to childbirth and labor pains. He held his wife steadily hoping that her sudden discomfort would become more manageable. His eyes widened in terror when he heard her cry out and start convulsing._

"_It's burning! It's burning!" The lawyer held her throat with one hand and placed her hand on her stomach and continued to scream. Smoke started pouring out of her eyes and mouth and she started to choke from the lack of oxygen. Suddenly the room became much hotter and the amount of smoke increased around the couple. Ryoji knew he had to get his wife and child to safety, but then when he tried to pick Kotoko up, he couldn't budge her. She had never felt that heavy to him before. _

"_Come on, Kotoko! We have to get out of here. You need to get to the hospital." Ryoji continued to struggle with his wife, when he heard muffled screams from the apartment next door. A loud crash and the sounds of crying children resonated from the outside of the building on the stairwell. Flames started to eat away at the far wall of the Fujioka apartment, and that made Ryoji all the more determined to get his wife and baby out as fast as possible._

_Then he yelped in pain as he abruptly released his wife from his arms. She had suddenly gotten to hot for him to hold. Upon looking at his arms, Ryoji saw a line of ugly black burns. How could she get this hot so fast? Why did she feel like she was on fire? He could only stare as his wife cried out to him and continued writhing as if she were in torment._

"_Ryoji! Get out! I'm burning! Everything's burning! Please, just go!" The young lawyer gasped in a smoke-choked voice, imploring her husband to get to safety. But he continued to stare in horror as some unseen force was consuming her body. All around the apartment, flames spread to the furniture and the nursery, which the proud parents had created. The entire apartment was burning away, and for some reason, Kotoko was too._

"_Ryoji, please get out. It'll be okay. Don't worry." With tears blurring his eyes and great hesitation, Ryoji stumbled toward the door…only to find it blocked by a wall of fire which had spread all around the apartment and was trapping them both._

"_Kotoko! I can't…" But when Ryoji turned back to his wife, he saw that she was literally encased in a cocoon of white-hot flame. Screams once again emanated from the still-pregnant young woman, and she fought desperately against the unseen force searing her body and wrapping her in agony and eating away at her. Ryoji tried to reach for his wife to save her, only to find that the same unseen force was starting to coil around his body like an incendiary boa constrictor. The relentless heat singed his body and he too starting convulsing as his world disintegrated in the out-of-control blaze. "Kotoko! Kotoko! I can't get to you!" _

_He struggled against his fiery bonds which ate away at his skin and continued to consume him in the way they were consuming his beloved. _

"_Kotoko! KOTOKOOOOOOO!!!!" _

Ryoji Fujioka's eyes shot open. He made a brief yet audible cry of fear, which immediately made his face hurt. The now-older man felt sweat on the unburned side of his face and he wiped it off with his uninjured hand. Then he felt tears stinging his eyes as he thought of the dream he just escaped from.

_Why does that same damn dream keep coming back? Will I never get any sleep?_ The elder Fujioka was getting fed up with having to endure such an awful nightmare. Wasn't there something the nurses could give him that would make him stop dreaming? He was about to push the call button to summon one of the nurses to ask for such a thing when the door to his room opened again.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Haruhi asked her father when she saw him breathing heavily and his face flushed with perspiration. She had overheard the nurses talking about Ryoji and had mentioned how he was having trouble sleeping. They worried that if he continued to move around due to his tossing and turning, he would cause further injury to himself. Because of their concern, Haruhi decided that she needed to be closer to her father. So she waited until the hallway was clear, and went to be by his side once again.

Ranka watched his daughter sit down in the chair beside his bed and take his uninjured hand in hers. He couldn't help but feel incredible relief that she had escaped injury and possible death from the blaze that had taken their home away days ago. If she had perished in that fire like she had in his dream, he would have completely lost any will to live that he had. The _only_ reason he was even making an effort to recover was because of his little girl.

He wasn't able to get Kotoko's ashes out in time.

"Haruhi." Even though talking was still difficult for the former crossdresser, he still tried to speak loud enough so she could hear him. Haruhi leaned in so that she could hear her father better, and he whispered a single word into her ear.

"Dresser."

_Hm? Dresser?_ Haruhi hadn't expected her father to say something like this. For a moment, she pondered its meaning, and then she watched her father look away. Following his line of sight, she noticed an envelope on top of a small mahogany dresser set on the far wall of the room. Letting go of her father's hand, Haruhi got up and walked over to the dresser and picked up the envelope, emptying it of its contents.

Spread out on the dresser were two dry cleaner receipts, a few random business cards from various clients, a folded-up menu for a sushi restaurant, a metal thimble (even though Ranka couldn't even sew a button), some expired supermarket coupons, and finally, a slightly-singed photograph. Haruhi's eyes widened when she saw the smiling faces of her mother, her father, and herself as a dark-haired baby in a cute frilly pink one-piece bathing suit that didn't match her serious expression. They were all dressed in beach clothes and standing by the sea after asking some passer-by to take their picture. The brunette turned over the picture and looked at her mother's writing.

_Hokkaido in April…Fun time at the beach, but why doesn't Haruhi-chan smile? Oh well, I'm sure she'll like it better when she's older._

Despite the welling moisture in her chocolate eyes, Haruhi smiled as she gazed lovingly at the young husband and wife and the all-too-serious looking child. Then she turned back toward her father and held up the photograph.

Ranka smiled wider than he had since the night of that terrible fire and motioned for his daughter to come back to his side with the picture. She came without hesitation and placed the photo in the palm of her father's hand. She looked at her father's face and noticed a few tears playing at the corner of his eyes as he whispered "Thank you."

Haruhi leaned in and hugged her father carefully so as not to exacerbate his injuries. As she broke the embrace after a moment, the door opened slowly. The nurse walked up to the bed carrying a clipboard. "Fujioka-san, I need to change a few bandages," she stated addressing the red-haired man lying in the hospital bed after acknowledging his daughter with a nod.

"Your friends are waiting for you outside, Haruhi-san." The blond nurse smiled for the uninjured girl before she started tending her still very-injured father. Ranka's eyes met Haruhi's for a moment and he clutched the photograph closer in his hand. He looked happier at least. Even though he had lost everything else in that fire, he still had her and this one photograph that he had kept on his person at all times. He silently thanked Kyouya Ohtori for forbidding the nurses from throwing out any of his personal possessions.

"Thank you, nurse." Haruhi stood up and acknowledged the young woman before leaning in to kiss her father on the cheek. "I'll be back, Dad."

Then she turned and ran to the door to see her friends who were waiting with open arms for their cherished princess. Hikaru and Kaoru were first in line to greet her, shoving past Tamaki and crushing their little friend in a tight group hug. Haruhi smiled and hugged them back just as tightly while the rest of the Host Club (with Tamaki hanging woefully at the back of the group behind Kyouya) watched and waited their turns to hold her.

At last, the Host Club was together again.

TBC

A/N: I was thinking about a lawsuit over a missing pair of pants that got thrown out of court not too long ago when I was writing this chapter. I imagine there are some stranger cases out there, though.

Anyway, now that the Host Club has reunited under less strenuous circumstances, life is somewhat better for our heroine. However, there is still a lot that needs to be addressed. In the meantime, let's hope Ranka can get a better night's sleep.

I'm still trying to decide whether or not to turn this into a romance. Guess it depends on where my creative mind steers me. And let's not forget the Host Club families. I'm glad Chapter 7 turned out so well. I wonder if I should bring the grandmas back at some point. Hmmmmm…do I dare?

As always, comments and reviews are welcome, as well as constructive criticism. Thank you very much!


	9. Determination

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own Ouran. I believe I've said that already. Thank you for keeping the lawyers away._

CHAPTER 9: DETERMINATION

Haruhi smiled for her friends as they hugged her and greeted her brightly, particularly the certain blond idiot king who crushed her in a hug the second he had the chance. Glancing back at the still-open door to her father's room, she saw the nurse finish with the bandages while Ranka turned to watch the reunion. Ranka also smiled as much as he could manage at the happy scene, even though his eyes narrowed slightly at seeing Tamaki grab his daughter and claim her as his own _yet again._

"My princess! My princess! Daddy's here at last for you! Oh my baby girl! Are you all right? My baby! My daughter! I was so worried for my little girl."

The words came out quickly and tearfully as Tamaki Suoh held Haruhi in a vice-like grip almost around her neck. He sobbed as he buried his face in her hair and came close to strangling her. To save her from asphyxiation, the twins pulled Tamaki's arms away from her and stepped between them.

"Give it a rest, Tono. Haruhi's a lot tougher than she looks." Hikaru irritably stated while pushing Haruhi behind him and moving her backwards.

"You don't need to slobber over her so much." Kaoru chimed in after his brother as he pushed Tamaki away from the petite female Host Club member and glanced at his brother. Hikaru, upon meeting his twin's eyes, placed his hands on Haruhi's shoulders protectively and watched the half-French blond slink back to where Kyouya waited patiently.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, it's okay. He's only being himself." Haruhi did not want to make her senpai feel bad. He may have overdone his emotions, but the blond's heart was full of love for her which always spilled over when she was in his presence. No real harm had been done.

"Oh, and Haruhi, this is yours." Kaoru stated as he handed Haruhi a bag with a few of her things that she had had on her the other night.

She reached into the slightly-worn tote bag and pulled out her freshly-cleaned blue jacket and smiled as she put it on. There were no traces of ashes or even a faint acrid smell of ash embedded in the fiber. Instead, the jacket felt soft and smelled of lavender and even a little bit of mint. Haruhi then saw her favorite pair of loafers at the bottom of the bag and put those on her feet, since she had no other shoes on other than a pair of hospital slippers. The servants at the Hitachiin estate had cleaned and polished her shoes so they looked newer than the day she bought them.

"Thank you, guys." Haruhi smiled gratefully at the twins, causing a small amount of scarlet to wash over Hikaru's face. Kaoru glanced at his brother and smirked just a little bit. He would probably be teasing his brother later about this.

Kyouya decided then that it would be a good time to confer with the doctors and nurses tending to Ranka, so he slipped into the room where Haruhi's father lay and shut the door behind him for privacy. He wanted to assure the older man that his daughter would have a safe place to live for the time being. He also started mentally preparing for Haruhi's return to the Host Club.

Plans to advertise the "poor host in need" were already churning away in the back of his mind.

In the meantime, Tamaki had recovered from his temporary funk and had walked back toward Haruhi, stopping when he approached Mori and Hani. He didn't want to relapse into his former behavior with his princess in case the two seniors decided to haul him completely out of the corridor and bar the doors behind him.

"So what happens now? When do I return to school?" Haruhi asked the Hitachiin twins who each had a hand on her shoulder and were protecting her from her hovering "father" Tamaki.

"You can return at any time. Kyouya had us collecting your homework, and we've got your replacement textbooks waiting for you at our place, as well as extra replacement uniforms," Hikaru informed her while he started guiding her toward the double doors leading to the elevator and ultimately to the parking garage.

Noting the expression on the brunette's face as she mentally calculated the cost she imagined was being added to her debt, Kaoru added, "Don't worry about the cost of that stuff. Our grandmother took care of it. She told Kyouya that in no uncertain terms, not one yen was going to be added to your debt. And believe me; you don't want to cross Hitachiin-obaa-sama."

Haruhi sighed in relief. At least this was one financial burden she would not have to worry about. She imagined the conversation between the twins' grandmother and Kyouya and wondered how such a woman could have intimidated the Shadow King. She giggled slightly at the mental image, but quickly suppressed it as the door to her father's hospital room opened, revealing the shadowy dark-haired teenager in the girl's peripheral vision. Because the twins were trying to get her attention on the way to the parking garage, and because Kyouya's expression seemed a little too neutral, Haruhi decided not to inquire as what he had discussed with her father.

At least, not right now.

_Inside the Hitachiin limousine…_

"So Haruhi, think you're up to coming to school tomorrow? We've really missed you. It just felt so empty without our toy," Hikaru said as he nodded to their driver to get them back to their mansion.

"I haven't missed that much time, and. I'm sure you guys managed just fine without me there." Haruhi reassured them as she watched the television on the other side of the limo. Hikaru idly flipped channels, looking for something that was not boring by his and his brother's standards. Suddenly Haruhi gripped his arm just as he was about to switch off the news broadcast.

"Stop for a second Hikaru. I just want to watch this." Haruhi glared at the television screen as she noticed the face of the same newscaster she had seen earlier. The man was clearly no journalist, according to Haruhi. Even though he wasn't broadcasting on the apartment fire, he didn't seem to have any kind words for the victims. She listened to his words with barely-restrained anger.

"…these local emergency shelters are currently strained for space and resources because of these tenants who claim they have no other place to go." The newscaster's voice sounded devoid of any compassion for these people. In fact, he almost sounded like he was blaming the tenants for crowding the shelters. He clearly had no business reporting the news if he was going to be subjective to this degree.

Haruhi's eyes narrowed at the man's casual-sounding words. Why couldn't at least sound like he cared about the plight of her neighbors? Then she thought of the man's over-inflated salary. The guy probably made enough money that he could buy another apartment for himself. Maybe even a whole apartment building. He had no idea what she and the other victims of the blaze were going through.

Hikaru immediately picked up on the young girl's tense body language. "Haruhi?"

The girl who heard her name lowered her face from the TV screen. "It's okay, Hikaru. You can go ahead and change the station if you want." She said nothing more and instead lowered her head and tried to count the fibers in the carpet on the floor of the limousine.

The twins thought they heard a soft sigh of worry escape their friend. What else had this person said about her situation?

As they pulled up to the front door of the Hitachiin estate, Haruhi stared up at the grand white columns and the hundreds of windows catching the afternoon sunlight. As she stepped out of the limo behind Hikaru and Kaoru, she had to resist the urge to gawk at the vast house in order to avoid seeming rude. To take her mind off the overwhelming splendor of the twins' family home, Haruhi automatically turned around and started to reach for her bag that she placed on the floor of the limousine. But the driver handed it to her instead.

"Thank you." She wasn't sure whether or not she was supposed to address the driver directly, but she really didn't care about that. He was still a human being after all.

"Not at all, Fujioka-sama." Bowing to her and the twins, he got back in the car and drove it towards the parking garage.

"Welcome home, Hikaru-sama and Kaoru-sama. Welcome Fujioka-sama." Two female voices spoke in unison, and Haruhi turned at the sound of the twin maids who waited in the main hallway to the right of the stairs. They bowed low for the trio as they stepped through the double doors.

"Hello Kiku. Hello Yuki," The Hitachiin brothers replied in unison back to their servants.

"Haruhi will be staying with us for the time being. I think you already know what happened to her home," Hikaru placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

"Please show her where her room is," Kaoru added beside his brother.

"Yes, Hikaru-sama and Kaoru-sama. This way, Fujioka-sama." Normally, the twin maids would have picked up any bags that had come out of the limo, but since Haruhi had nothing but the clothes on her back and a few personal items in the bag in her hand, they simply gestured Haruhi to follow them.

"Thank you again, Hikaru and Kaoru. I appreciate your kindness." Haruhi smiled at the two boys. Then she followed the twin maids adding, "I'll get to my homework now, and please tell your grandmother thank you as well."

The three women then walked up the stairs, leaving the two young men to watch them until they were out of sight. Once they heard the door to Haruhi's room close, they turned to each other with unreadable expressions on their faces.

Unreadable to everyone but them, that is.

"What do you suppose got Haruhi so upset in the car?" Kaoru ventured to ask his slightly older brother as they handed their jackets to a nearby servant.

"That newscaster obviously. He must have said something in a broadcast that made her mad." The same thought had been running through Hikaru's head and he didn't know exactly how to handle it, or even, if he should handle it at all. _This might be something for Kyouya to deal with, because I think I'd tear that guy's head off in one quick twist for upsetting Haruhi like that. _

The two boys headed to the kitchen to grab some juice and a snack. Hikaru opened the massive refrigerator to grab out some orange juice and wasted no time in opening the carton when something cool and smooth jabbed him in the shoulder. He turned to his right and looked at the offending object with some distaste. His twin was holding a glass out in one hand as he put the other glass down on the counter.

"Hikaru? Remember what Dad said about you drinking juice directly from the carton?"

Groaning, the older Hitachiin brother took the proffered glass and poured juice for him and his brother. _How does Dad know this stuff?_

_Upstairs in Haruhi's room…_

"Everything you need is in this room, Fujioka-sama. Please let us know if you need anything else." Yuki (_Kiku?_) spoke pleasantly to the young commoner girl as she pored over the incredible amount of clothes she found in the closet. The twin's mother had outfitted Haruhi with an array of beautiful fashions that would flatter the petite brunette in every way.

"Thank you…Yuki-san is it?" Haruhi had only met the maids a few times and couldn't readily tell them apart as she could Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Yes, I am Yuki. And this is Kiku." The other twin maid bowed for Haruhi at the sound of her name. Both were flattered that Haruhi could distinguish them without any trouble.

"We will be taking care of you, Fujioka-sama." Kiku smiled for her mistress before she moved over to the bed halfway across the room and fluffed the pillows up a little bit more. The bed that she and her sister had worked on looked big enough to hold her as well as the entire host club and had elegant silk sheets more suited for a honeymoon suite than a regular guest room.

Facing the gigantic window, Haruhi saw a desk with her various schoolbooks and a new bag that the twins had given her that held a lot more stuff than she would normally carry. The desk had a laptop on it as well as all the necessary school supplies to replace the ones destroyed in the fire. Haruhi looked at the laptop, marveling at its sleek black design as well as its clear, sharp screen when she turned it on. Then she turned to the pile of homework that lay ahead of her and figured she wouldn't have too much trouble catching up. She had read ahead in most of the subjects anyway in order to remain ahead in her classes.

"That's very kind of you," Haruhi replied gratefully, then turned to the desk with the books piled up on it. "I guess I'd better tackle my homework now."

"Please call us if you need anything," the twin maids responded with a bow, then took their leave of the room.

Sitting down in the big gray ergonomic chair, Haruhi settled on her first subject and started poring over the reading material and working on the assignments one at a time. As she worked, the pile became smaller and smaller and in just a few hours, Haruhi had finished her homework. Not yet finished with her studies, Haruhi opened her calculus book and was starting to read ahead when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Without looking up from her book, Haruhi figured it was the twin maids coming to help her pick out an outfit for dinner.

Instead, she saw Hikaru—and only Hikaru—walking into her room with a tray of tea in his hand. He smiled for her, but Haruhi knew he was thinking about something because of his somewhat subdued mannerisms and the delicacy at which he set the tray down.

"Ah, Hikaru. How are you doing? Do you need any help with your homework?" Then she noticed the younger Hitachiin hadn't shown up. "Umm…where's Kaoru? Won't he be joining us?"

"He felt that I should talk to you alone." Hikaru faced the brunette as she closed the book. He shifted his weight for a moment and then took a deep breath. "What's bothering you?"

"Hikaru?"

"In the car, I noticed you got really upset when you saw that newscaster talking about the victims of the fire. I know you feel bad for them because you've lived with them all your life, but why…" Hikaru paused when he noticed color floating to Haruhi's cheeks. Lowering her eyes to him, she told him about the reporter's first broadcast that she had heard in the hospital.

"He just doesn't seem to care. Does anybody care besides you guys?" Haruhi started to feel the emotion coming back as she got up and paced around in front of a very puzzled Hikaru. Something crackled to life in her soul, and she couldn't stop the words from coming out, no matter how clumsy they sounded. "We may be commoners, but that doesn't make us any less human. Do you understand me, Hikaru Hitachiin? Lineage and wealth don't matter to us the way it does to…to people from your background." Haruhi struggled to remain tactful, but remembering the broadcast caused a cascade of emotion from her.

"Just because we've lost our homes doesn't mean we've lost our souls, our identities, or our right to live a peaceful and contented life in which we don't have to worry about tomorrow." Haruhi drew a ragged breath and ran a shaky hand through her hair as if collecting her thoughts.

"This man just slams us! He doesn't care! He could have made some effort to be sympathetic, and maybe it's just his professional detachment, but these people need help! Not just my father, not just me, but _everyone_ we grew up with. Hikaru…I want no one to be left behind. _No one_. If being with you all, that is, the Host Club, can put me in a position to help these people then please, let me try to help my neighbors."

As she thought of the blazing apartment and the despairing faces of her neighbors, Haruhi angrily wiped a stray tear away and continued.

"I don't care what this does to my debt. If I know Kyouya, he'll probably raise it to a point where I'll never get it paid off unless I work it off through three consecutive lifetimes. But I don't care about that anymore! After all, what is a debt? It's just a bunch of numbers to me. These people are not numbers. They're my neighbors, and my friends, and I don't want them to feel like no one cares. I don't want to be like that newscaster, just dismissing them like they're useless statistics. Don't you see, Hikaru? _I want to help them._"

Kaoru entered the room nibbling on some pretzels as Haruhi finished her speech. "Sorry, but I overheard everything. Hikaru, I need to see you for a few minutes." Turning to Haruhi he added, "After we get back, do you want to take a tour of the gardens? I think our grandmother has some beautiful orchids she'd like to show you." Kaoru sensed that Haruhi needed to get some fresh air, but he still needed to discuss a few things with his brother.

"Sure, I'd like that. Thank you, Kaoru. And thank you both for listening," Haruhi replied as she sank down into the chair at her desk. The twins hugged her in unison, and Hikaru whispered in her ear, "Why not wear that pretty lavender sun dress that Mom designed? It's really soft and we'd love to see you in it."

"We'll be back," Kaoru added in her other ear as he beckoned his brother to follow him out of the room so Haruhi could change. As the twins shut the door behind them, Kaoru pulled out his cell phone and dialed an all-too-familiar number.

Less than two days later, the now-forever-nameless newscaster found himself without a job, barred from all media work, and banished from the country.

TBC.

Author's note: Well I have been draggy about getting these chapters out. Sorry, but I recently started a new job and I have a life and bills I have to balance. Thank you for your patience.

I'll try to get faster with the updates, but I am a pretty bad procrastinator. I am trying to reform though. Don't worry; I'll try not to make you wait too long for the next chapter.

Hope all is well with everyone. More to come. Until next time.

Gee, I wonder who Kaoru called? (hint hint).


	10. Hopes

Summary: Mrs

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own Ouran. Bisco Hatori owns Ouran. I'm only borrowing the characters for entertainment, not monetary purpose. Please do not sue me. Thank you._

CHAPTER 10: HOPES

Haruhi sighed in relief as she finished her makeup calculus exam. She wasn't that worried about the results since she already knew the material and had made it a point to review briefly before the test. Her sharp, intelligent mind had kept her at the top of her class, and she wasn't about to let the loss of her home or the terrible aftermath affect her.

She thought for a moment that if she had indeed achieved her dream of becoming a lawyer, she could help to influence her community in helping the victims of the fire as well as any future victims.

_Maybe when I'm done with Ouran_. Haruhi smiled at the thought. Then she glanced at her watch. _One more class before I'm off to the Third Music Room_.

Entering the 1-A classroom, she took her usual place between Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin and glanced about the room. The teacher had not yet arrived, so classmates were whispering around them.

"Poor Haruhi-kun. I hear his father got burned pretty badly."

"I hope they can get back on their feet soon. It must be rough living without anything. I don't even want to imagine."

"Well, commoners have always had to make more with less, so I think Haruhi-kun and his neighbors will be able to handle themselves."

"I wonder if we should try to help."

Then the bell rang for the class to begin and the teacher entered the room. Everyone stood up and greeted her as she set her books down at the desk. Then she told the class to be seated, but took a moment to look Haruhi in the eye.

"Fujioka-san, I am sorry for your loss, and I hope your father and neighbors can make it through this difficult time."

Haruhi stood up and bowed for her teacher. "Thank you, sensei."

Then she took her seat and opened her book to the chapter that the teacher had indicated. Of course, Haruhi had to point out the correct chapters in the book to Hikaru and Kaoru, since paying attention wasn't in their repertoire of appropriate behavior.

The class passed by relatively quickly, and Haruhi hurriedly yet carefully copied down the homework assignments that the teacher had laid out.

As the day progressed, she noticed that many students were giving her sidelong glances. Some were offering looks of pity toward the cross-dressing commoner; others were in awe at her (or his) bravery in the face of such a loss. Still others turned away and whispered amongst themselves in small groups as she and the Hitachiin boys passed them in the hallways. No one addressed her directly, since they weren't sure what to say.

How would this affect the amount of customers who showed up at the Host Club?

"Fujioka-san!"

Haruhi glanced down another hallway at the sound of the rough voice that had come from the 1-D classroom. A tall first year with long messy crimson hair and a somewhat fierce expression ran toward her. But Haruhi saw that there was a certain gentleness hidden in the young man's facial features and she turned towards him.

"Kasanoda-kun!" Haruhi gave the yakuza student Ritsu Kasanoda a brief smile, causing an ever-so-slight blush to well up on his face, giving away his not-so-secret crush on her. But before he could get too close to the scholarship student, the twins each stepped in front of Haruhi and blocked his view of her.

"We have to get to the Third Music Room now, Bossa Nova," Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison, with a tinge of jealousy in their voices. They then grabbed each of Haruhi's arms and hauled her toward the stairs, leaving Kassanoda behind.

"Come by later if you want," Haruhi called back toward Kasanoda, who stared at the trio dumbly.

The blush was still on his face, along with a few drops of sweat.

_Later in the Third Music Room_

"Ah, my lovely little daughter has arrived at last!" Tamaki ran to hug his proclaimed "daughter" just as Hikaru once again got between them and Kaoru pulled Haruhi away as she addressed the Host Club King.

"Senpai, shouldn't we get ready for the customers? They'll be here soon, and we've got tables to set and instant coffee to make."

Tamaki opened his mouth and looked a little sad that he had not been able to show his usual affection, but he quickly bounced back upon noticing the clock in his peripheral vision.

No time for the corner of woe. _Right now._

The club members, excluding Kyouya, wasted no time busying themselves with putting exquisite porcelain on tables, flanked with the finest imported silverware known to humanity. Haruhi started setting out saucers and cups at Tamaki's table while noticing Kyouya vigorously typing on his laptop and occasionally giving her a strange look. What could he possibly be hiding from the young natural host?

After she finished placing some ornate teacups down in some equally ornate saucers, she finally approached the Shadow King, who continued to type as if pretending to be oblivious to her presence.

Even though he most certainly was not.

"Kyouya-senpai? Is something the matter?"

The Shadow King finished up a sentence, hit the enter button on the keyboard, and stopped typing. He looked slightly uncomfortable, despite trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

"I was…talking with some of the doctors in charge of your father's treatment. He's going to need to learn to walk again and it won't be easy for him. And because he suffered burns to his face, he will probably need some cosmetic surgery to repair it before he can return to his line of work."

Haruhi nodded, but still couldn't shake the fact that Kyouya wasn't giving her the whole story. She also noticed that he broke eye contact with her rather quickly instead of giving her one of his usual semi-benign mental appraisals.

The sound of customers starting to file into the Third Music Room then prompted Haruhi to move back toward her table to welcome her regulars as they approached her.

"Welcome ladies, please sit down," Haruhi greeted the three girls with her usual natural smile. She picked up the exquisitely-painted porcelain tea pot and began to pour a smooth exotic oolong tea into each of their cups. Even though she was effectively hiding her anxiety over her father and her situation in general, a small amount of fear seeped through.

The girls accepted the tea graciously and were chattering with their favorite host, but seemed slightly uneasy around her. They were unquestionably fond of Haruhi, but they still couldn't comprehend the idea of having lost all material possessions in just a few hours. The three girls all had more than abundance in their lives and were finding it hard to comfort the destitute Haruhi.

Nevertheless, they tried.

"Haruhi-kun, I'm so sorry that such an awful thing happened to you. Are you doing okay?" Mikoto, a dark-haired second year student inquired.

"I will admit, it hasn't been easy for me, but I've managed," Haruhi responded while staring at her own cup of tea. "I've lived in that apartment since I was born. We were always so happy, and I know there are a lot of memories that surrounded our home."

Haruhi began to speak from the heart, partially to keep up her reputation as the "natural" host, but also because her words resounded from her soul. She swallowed hard.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't get my mother's ashes out. It feels like a piece of me is gone now, and I'll never get it back. Mom's gone forever now."

Tears sprung up in the girls' eyes when they heard this. All they wanted to do was give their favorite host all the moral support that they could. They thought of their own rich lives full of material wealth but lacking in familial love. The parents of these wealthy young ladies were always so busy with their own lives of work and social gatherings, often leaving their daughters in the care of the servants.

"Dad is still at the hospital," Haruhi continued, interrupting the girls' thoughts. "He's still suffering from his injuries, but I gave him a picture of us as a family when I was little. We went to a beach and that made him smile a little, even though it hurts because of his burns. I hope that's enough."

Mikoto spoke up, "You're so brave, Haruhi-kun, and so caring. Your father is lucky to have such a wonderful son."

The other girls nodded and sipped their tea. They knew their Haruhi was handling this awful situation much better than they ever could.

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing a sweaty, dirty Kassanoda carrying a flower pot with some small purple flowers in them.

"Fujioka-san!"

Haruhi turned at the sound of his voice, as did the customers. The red-haired yakuza crossed the room and tried to keep the blush off his face as he presented the pot to her.

"I-I planted these orchids, Fujioka. Maybe they can be planted as a new memorial for the people who…who…" Kassanoda could barely stammer out anything because of his nervousness, so he tried again.

"Please take these flowers and know that I support you, Fujioka-san."

Haruhi looked at the orchids in the pot. They were still pretty small, but she figured that they would be a lot prettier and larger in the not-too-distant future. She smiled for the sweaty yakuza and graciously accepted his gift.

"Thank you, Kassanoda-kun. You're nice to give me these flowers."

Hikaru and Kaoru walked up to the table and eyed what they saw as pathetic little buds compared to the magnificent orchids their grandmother had planted not long ago. They were about to comment on how immature the flowers seemed when Tamaki spoke in his lordly Host Club king voice.

"How nice of Bossa Nova to grace us with his presence, wouldn't you agree my little princesses? Perhaps we should decorate the whole room with these lovely flowers to match the beauty of our customers."

The twins looked at the Host Club King and wondered just how lame his ideas could get.

Kyouya spoke next, "Perhaps, Kassanoda-kun, more flowers would be a charming addition to this otherwise plain-looking music room. After all, if the customers like the flowers, they will come more often, and we will gain more of a profit margin. Wouldn't you agree?"

Kassanoda looked at the glint behind the Shadow King's eyes and took it as a hint to _go get cleaned up and come back as a paying customer_. He stared with more than a little fear at the slight tinge of annoyance on the dark-haired host's face.

"Well, I'll go start planting some more flowers. Please excuse me," he stammered. He bowed and skittered toward the door, leaving the flowers on the table. As soon as he was gone, Hani and Mori came over. They had finished taking care of their customers and were curious as to what was growing in the pot.

"Wow, they're so little aren't they, Takashi?" Hani cooed over the delicate little purple flowers. He picked up his pink rabbit and put the stuffed animal's face near the side of the pot. "Look, Usa-chan. They're still growing."

Mori looked at the flowers in the pot and nodded, agreeing that the flowers were still pretty small. Haruhi set the flowers near the center of the table for the customers so they could see them.

"I should show these to Dad when I go see him."

The other hosts agreed, even if Hikaru and Kaoru were just barely managing to keep a tactless comment about Kassanoda's gardening abilities to themselves.

In the meantime, Kyouya typed a few things into his laptop, calculating the expenses of the meeting as it continued. When he was certain he was not being watched, he clicked up another window on the screen as he eyed the report from one of his lieutenants from his family's private police. After the fire at Haruhi's apartment had been extinguished, Kyouya had sent several members of his family's police force to work with the investigators and the firefighters who were salvaging what they could from the building.

The report he read made him wonder about what they had found among the debris.

_How did the landlady get her hands on explosives?_

TBC.

Author's note: Okay, I admit I suck at updating. But I just have to write through Writer's Block. That and my real life as well as a couple of computer upgrades have made me delay. Feel free to chuck cyber-pebbles at me if you like. Or boulders. Whatever.

Anywhoos, read, review, and I'll see you next time.

P.S. Let me know if I should bring back Kassanoda or any of his gang. Maybe a bunch of orchids as well. They're so preeeeeeeeettyyyyy.


	11. Oxygen

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own Ouran. Bisco Hatori owns Ouran. I'm only borrowing the characters for entertainment, not monetary purpose. Please do not sue me. Thank you._

CHAPTER 11: OXYGEN

_Ohtori main dining room…_

Dinner was, as always, a rather somber affair at the Ohtori mansion, full of oppressive silence and contemplation among the three brothers and Kyouya's father Yoshio Ohtori. His sister and mother (who had both left the family years ago) were absent, and thus provided neither conversation nor distraction for the Shadow King.

Kyouya meditated on his police report as he picked up one of the softer slices of tuna and deposited it on his plate next to the wasabi and ginger. He didn't even look at his father and brothers as they quietly ate their rather expensive dinner and didn't even bother to look at him.

As he slowly chewed his food, he thought of this unexpected development in his investigation into the discovery of explosives. He couldn't fathom the idea of Haruhi's landlady harboring such dangerous and undoubtedly illegal items in her apartment. What were they doing there? How did she obtain them? Who was helping her and why? He resolved to do more research, but he also resolved to keep this knowledge from the others—especially Haruhi—until he could be sure of his findings and the landlady's motivations. Coupled with Ranka-san's hospital treatment, Kyouya could almost feel the frosty, heavy air of the burden between his slender shoulders sinking down on him.

_This is all very interesting. Disturbing, but interesting. I look forward to making sense of it._

Meanwhile, Yoshio Ohtori, the family patriarch, retained a glacial stoicism about him that even Kyouya couldn't help but grudgingly admire. The man was like a cold slab of obsidian and marble, focused on little more than business, finance, merit, profit, and succession; five words which dominated the man's thoughts, feelings, and mannerisms. Yet despite the lack of emotion his father displayed, Kyouya knew that the man was one of the sharpest and most dangerous businessmen in Japan, if not the world. And that dangerous businessman was currently eyeing his youngest son through his peripheral vision.

"Kyouya."

That one word resonated down the Shadow King's spine like a frozen icepick gutting a small fish. Yoshio Ohtori was a man of few words, but many actions. When he spoke, his brothers also took notice, set down their chopsticks, and listened to their father. Kyouya was secretly amazed by how even his brothers still feared their father to the point where they would drop everything and focus only on the older man's unreadable expression and piercing gaze.

"Yes, father?"

"I understand that Fujioka-san's father is currently at the main hospital receiving treatment for his injuries." The older man spoke in a curt, chilly tone that held no pity for the unfortunate crossdresser.

"Yes, father." Kyouya spoke respectfully and also wasted no words. He wanted this conversation to end quickly, so he pretended to agree with what the older man said in order to expedite the flow of the dialogue.

"Because of his income, he is little more than a charity case. Long-term treatment for the man would not be economical for the hospital. He cannot stay for more than two weeks."

Kyouya nearly choked on his tuna slice as his mind exploded.

_Two weeks__?! Ranka-san needs longer than that in order to make a recovery, because the reconstructive surgery and physical therapy. How can you just eject him in the name of cutting costs? That's unconscionable!_

But instead of voicing the inner drama to the older man, Kyouya swallowed his food clumsily and simply asked, "Father?"

"That is what has been decided," Yoshio coldly announced. "A crossdresser who works in a local gay bar would have no hope of recouping the cost of treatment even if he did have insurance. He can have two weeks at the hospital and no more."

The younger Ohtori couldn't believe what he had heard. He knew his father was only interested in the business and advancement of the family, but he never suspected he would willingly discharge an injured patient in such a callous way. Granted, Ryoji Fujioka did not have any real medical insurance to speak of, but he had become a friend to Kyouya and the rest of the Host Club through his daughter, Haruhi. To deny him further treatment despite an inability to pay grated on the teen's mind. But at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to contradict his father. Kyouya knew if he made trouble Yoshio would probably disown him and discharge Ryoji Fujioka immediately as opposed to half a month from now, making his recovery more difficult if not impossible. At least for now, Ranka-san had a small grace period in which to try and recover.

Kyouya could survive being disowned, but he would never forgive himself if he endangered Haruhi's father in the name of securing his position in the family. He had managed to learn some compassion from the commoner he kept in constant debt, even though the manner in which he showed it was backhanded and usually in the form of debt reduction.

_I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, Father. It's just like you to take the long view of problems, even if it means eliminating those short-term problems that don't have any merit to you. But I'm sorry to say that I don't feel the same way. _

Finally, Kyouya finished eating his food and politely excused himself, retreating to his room and locking the door behind him. He set his school books down on the contemporary and spotless table that served as his workstation and started his homework assignments.

Homework was an insignificant matter to Kyouya, being that he was the top student in his class. Rarely did it take more than an hour and a half at most to work through the schoolwork. He nodded blankly as he finished his French essay to his satisfaction and started his advanced calculus problems.

_Calculus? That's the exam that Haruhi was studying for the night she lost her home and her father ended up in the hospital. And now here I am studying calculus the night I learn that Haruhi's father is going to be tossed out of our hospital after a month since he can't pay. First a fire, then explosives, now Father's cost-cutting crap! What could be next?_

As he shut his calculus book on and started to check over his agenda for tomorrow, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

The conversation lasted no more than one minute, but as soon as the person on the other line cut the connection, Kyouya snapped his laptop shut, stuffed it and his clipboard into his schoolbag, got to his feet and strode toward the door. After he opened his bedroom door and ascertained that his father and brothers were no longer in the immediate area, he walked briskly out the front door and called for his driver.

_Meanwhile at the Hitachiin estate…_

Haruhi indulged in an evening walk through the family gardens wearing a beautiful canary yellow dress with a light blue cashmere sweater, courtesy of the twins' mother. For once, she was alone, having asked for a little privacy so she could clear her head from dinner and homework. Like Kyouya, Haruhi had little trouble with any of her schoolwork, and with no tests to study for at this time, she felt she could take a respite from her worries. Since Hikaru and Kaoru were still busy with their homework, Haruhi decided to do some solo twilight exploration.

The Hitachiin gardens were a marvel of beauty and meticulousness put together, like a private Elysium made just for her. Haruhi had toured the gardens with the twins before, each of them holding her hands and showing her all the flowers, even putting some in her hair. A myriad of colored flowers surrounded the brick path that she currently trod with a set of matching yellow sandals. To her left, a dozen rose bushes bloomed with different shades of red, purple, yellow, and even a few white ones. Nearby on the right side, more rose bushes, tulips, and various species of orchids greeted her with flared-out petals. The sound of water trickling from various marble fountains added more tranquility to the garden, calming her further. Clearly, this place was warm and inviting, despite the blowing night breezes that made her pull her sweater closer to her body.

As she walked further down the path, she heard someone humming a soft tune coming from a small and somewhat secluded clearing surrounded by a group of willow trees. Curious, Haruhi approached the darkened area that was suddenly lit by time-activated lights. Looking around, Haruhi noticed that the entire path lit up along with the clearing.

She approached the sanctuary tentatively, not wishing to disturb whoever was there, but also not wishing her curiosity to go unsatisfied.

Peeking under a tree and staying as quiet as possible, Haruhi saw a woman bent over a set of bright purple orchid plants and busily pruning its excess branches. Upon further investigation, Haruhi noticed that the old woman had her long gray hair tied back in a simple ponytail and she was wearing typical gardening clothes that had dirt all over them. Despite the dirt, however, the woman still looked striking and aristocratic compared to Haruhi in her much cleaner dress and sweater.

Then the petite brunette remembered the description of this person from Hikaru and Kaoru. This was Akemi Hitachiin, their grandmother, a woman as famous for flower arrangement as her daughter Yuzuha was for fashion design. She was probably preparing these orchids for another display to add in the mansion, possibly to showcase at a shrine or elsewhere.

After a minute, Haruhi started back toward the luminous brick path. This was no doubt a sacred spot for the distinguished eighty-four-year-old Hitachiin matriarch, and Haruhi didn't want to invade her privacy. But then the woman stopped humming, straightened herself up as much as her age would allow, and faced the intruder. The mildly chastising look that she normally saved for her grandsons was quickly replaced with a softer, friendlier look for their guest.

"Hello, Haruhi-chan."

Haruhi bowed low and long for the older woman. "Please excuse me, Hitachiin-sama. I didn't mean to…" But the twins' grandmother gently interrupted her.

"It's all right, dear. I was nearly finished, and you aren't nearly as boisterous as Hikaru and Kaoru. Please, come have a look. Aren't they lovely?" Akemi waved her slender yet grimy hand toward the plethora of brilliantly-colored orchids that were the product of time, attention, and artistic flair.

"Yes, they are." Haruhi admired the plants and smelled their sweet fragrance when Akemi spoke again after putting her pruning shears back in her bag.

"I'm sorry I didn't greet you on your last tour of the gardens, but I had some particularly contentious rose bushes that needed my attention." She gestured toward a small set of two cushioned chairs and a table near a small waterfall which flowed into a small stream nearby. Akemi took the time to rinse off her hands in the water before she spoke to Haruhi again.

"Please, have a seat."

Haruhi moved toward the soft blue-cushioned chair and sat down with the twins' grandmother. Even the waterfall near the table was lit up. As a maid poured a dark oolong tea into Haruhi's cup, Akemi gave her a measuring look with the same amber-gold eyes that Haruhi had seen in Hikaru and Kaoru. The main difference was that there was nothing calculating about the look. It was calmer and more benevolent, but no less catlike than those of the twins.

"I hope the boys aren't giving you too much trouble, dear. I know that they are pretty mischievous."

_That's for sure. _"They're fine, thank you." Haruhi sipped the tea, marveling at its flavor and feeling warmer in the chilly evening air.

"Hikaru and Kaoru have always been crazy bundles of energy, especially when they were bored. I can't tell you the number of times that Yuzuha and Keizo have had to interview and hire nannies for their sons only to have these would-be nannies run out the front door threatening to sue for psychological damage. A few of these people lasted no more than a day, but I must say, I've never heard of anyone making a mural with maple syrup and rolls of colored bathroom tissue. It took the maids about a week to get rid of the mess, and I don't think that syrupy smell on the servant's floor has gone away to this day." Akemi chuckled a little as she picked up her tea and sipped it elegantly.

Haruhi giggled at the image of a couple of identical toddlers running around the house squirting blobs of maple syrup on walls and sticking bathroom tissue on said blobs in the hopes of making as big a mess as possible. She knew the twins were full of troubling antics when they were bored, but this took their games to a whole new level. She hoped that they would never do this sort of thing in the third music room, because she would be asked/blackmailed into cleaning up after them.

_Best not ask about this incident. Or any other incident for that matter. _

The two women continued to share stories of the Hitachiin brothers as they sipped tea and even ate some cake. Akemi was amazed that Haruhi knew so much about her grandsons, and they both laughed at the "horror" stories that they exchanged with each other. Haruhi felt a bond of camaraderie forming between her and the Hitachiin matriarch due to their varying histories with the twins, and the two continued to chatter and laugh happily as the evening continued.

For a little while, Haruhi could forget her problems.

Suddenly a young man's voice rang out from the distance.

"Haruhi!"

Unlike with most other times, Haruhi heard only one set of footsteps running down the path towards the willow tree where she and the twins' grandmother were sitting. A few seconds later Kaoru's silhouette appeared panting outside the clearing. He was prepared to run to the table to get Haruhi, but upon seeing his grandmother, the younger twin stopped and bowed in a respectful fashion for her and tried to keep his voice calm.

"Please excuse the interruption, Grandmother. I need to see Haruhi immediately." Akemi nodded and indicated that her grandson was welcome to approach. The young redhead caught his breath and started to walk toward the table as Haruhi got up out of her seat, hastily bowing for Akemi and excusing herself before joining her friend.

"Kaoru?" Haruhi asked, puzzled. Even in the artificial light coupled with the evening shadows, Haruhi could still tell which twin was which, once again amazing the Hitachiin matriarch. "What's wrong, Kaoru? Where's Hikaru?"

"He's on the phone with Kyouya-senpai, and he sent me to come get you. Come with me, please, hurry!"

Haruhi's eyes widened. This no doubt meant that her father was in some kind of trouble. She swallowed hard and looked toward the twins' grandmother, who looked equally worried.

"Kaoru, what is it?" Haruhi asked anxiously as her hands started trembling.

"That's what Hikaru is trying to find out. But for now, we need to go. I'm sorry, Grandmother, I need Haruhi to come with me." Kaoru bowed once again for his grandmother and she nodded, indicating they were free to go. Kaoru took Haruhi's small wrist and started back toward the house as fast as he could.

"Thank you for the tea, Hitachiin-sama," Haruhi called back to Akemi as she gave the girl a small smile. After they had left, she allowed her worried expression to return. Motioning for the servants to clean up, she silently took out her pruning shears and started pruning the orchid branches in the hopes that things would be all right for Haruhi. The twins' grandmother sought her solace in her work once more.

Kaoru swiftly led Haruhi back toward the mansion while keeping a tight grip on her wrist. Being naturally slower, Haruhi had to ask him to keep her on her feet so she wouldn't trip and fall. As they came into the front courtyard, Haruhi noticed Hikaru standing outside in front of their limousine. The driver bowed for the other twin and his friend and opened the car door. Hikaru moved aside and let Haruhi and Kaoru in first, then following behind him as the driver shut the door behind the trio.

Hikaru immediately touched the button for the black glass shield between the front and the back seat and the glass once again rolled up, cutting off contact between the driver and the passengers. No one spoke right away, but the twins each held one of Haruhi's hands tightly, as if trying to pass on some of their strength to the young woman sitting between them.

Finally Haruhi asked again. "What is going on?"

After a moment, Hikaru looked at her and sighed. He wasn't looking forward to telling her about this unsettling development, but he knew he couldn't keep it from her, since she would find out soon enough.

"Ranka-san had to be taken in for surgery."

TBC.

Author's note: Yep, just had to through another cyber monkey-wrench into the gears that make up this story. But it was bound to happen anyway, so why not sit back and enjoy the ride. Oh, and be sure to keep your hands and arms inside at all times.

Anyway, thank you for all your reviews and suggestions. I know that you're all rooting for me to update. I know I am slow, but I do have a couple of not-so-lame excuses.

I work fulltime and am currently going to school. Also, I tend to work in spurts, so it's drought of flood for me. Plus, I would much rather take a longer time between updates and put out a more thoroughly-prepared chapter than to simply post for the sake of posting. That's just my style.

Oh, and to the fan artists out there: Anyone want to try and draw Haruhi and Akemi Hitachiin having tea? Maybe a picture of Kaoru interrupting them? See Chapter 7 for a more thorough description of Akemi. She's a cool lady, your typical Hitachiin woman.

Again, thank you for all your reviews and support.

Until then, I remain,

Tsukiko Hitachiin (jumps into a moonbeam and vanishes)

P.S. Like the new pen name?


	12. Shadows

_**Notes and Disclaimer**__: Simply put, I don't own Ouran or its characters. Thank you for not suing. _

_Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. To all those of you reviewing still, thank you for your patience and feedback. Enjoy!_

CHAPTER 12: SHADOWS

"It's an aneurysm."

Haruhi sat between Hikaru and Kaoru as Kyouya spoke the ominous words in a quiet, barely-controlled voice. The three freshmen had taken a seat on the plush red couch outside the operating room where the Ohtori doctors worked to save Ryoji Fujioka. Kyouya glanced toward the double doors that were locked from the inside and lowered his gaze, letting his dark hair fall over his glasses.

_Well, Father, are you satisfied now?_ After collecting his thoughts, he spoke again to Haruhi.

"According to the nurse, Ranka-san was only taken in a very short time ago. He complained of a nasty headache that had come on without warning. Next thing we know, he's rushed into surgery. I've also called the others, and they should be here soon."

The petite brunette nodded slowly, but clutched Hikaru's and Kaoru's hands tighter as she thought about how serious her father's condition had suddenly become.

Kyouya refrained from telling Haruhi and the twins about the conversation he had shared with his father just a few short hours ago. There was no sense in upsetting the young girl further, and he had other things on his mind. He had yet to meet with his lieutenants at the disaster site and was still mulling over the landlady and her questionable allegiances.

The double doors leading to the reception area opened again, interrupting the Shadow King's musings.

"Haru-chan!"

Hani ran forward and once again jumped into Haruhi's arms to comfort her, while Mori and Tamaki stepped into the waiting area and let the doors shut firmly behind them. Tamaki also ran forward to try and hug Haruhi, but would have to wait his turn since Hani wasn't letting go, and Hikaru and Kaoru were both glowering at him. They had let Hani in since they did not see him as any kind of competition and even if they did, they knew that the small martial artist would probably thrash both of them if they made him angry.

Tamaki, however, would just have to wait. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"My pretty daughter! She's so scared and upset. She needs her Daddy! Please, let Daddy see her."

"Senpai, please. My dad's in there." Haruhi's voice was flat and inflectionless, but experience with the scholarship student had taught her friends that her emotions were much more intense than she let on. She was once again trying to put on a brave face, but no one missed the fact that she was terrified. Especially not the twins, who almost felt the circulation in their hands being cut off as Haruhi held their hands.

Then Haruhi fixed her eyes on Kyouya.

"You said he didn't have any life-threatening injuries." Her voice was soft, but there was an undercurrent of steel that the Shadow King picked up.

"I told you that he didn't _appear_ to have them. There's a difference."

"Yet here he is now, fighting for his life because he has an aneurysm?"

"It was probably not related to his injuries, but…"

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO HIM?"

In an uncharacteristic outburst, Haruhi suddenly let go of Hikaru and Kaoru and jumped up to stand toe-to-toe with her senpai. She was scared, the other hosts knew that. But right now, all that terror at the prospect of losing her only living family member in what was _supposed to be_ the most advanced hospital in Japan was overtaking the petite girl in the form of scalding rage. She batted the twins' hands away again as she let loose on the Shadow King.

"Damn you, Kyouya! I thought he was in good hands here! Now all I can do is sit and hope that he survives being sliced into like he's some slab of meat! He's already facing the possibility that he won't be able to work again for a long time if ever! And now you're telling me that a blood vessel in his brain has burst? I know what an aneurysm can do to a person, Kyouya! WHY THE HELL WERE YOU NOT WATCHING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN?!"

The girl crumpled over, exhausted, but still angry. Kyouya took Haruhi by her shoulders to keep her from collapsing on the floor, but she immediately straightened up, shook off his hands and stalked back toward the bench, where the others waited, wisely staying out of Haruhi's way.

"Haruhi…" Kyouya began again, but Haruhi simply glared at him while letting tears fall down her face. Her voice cracked when she spoke again.

"I'm not interested in hearing it right now, Kyouya-senpai." And she said nothing more as tears slid down her face and she began to cry into Hikaru's shoulder. The elder Hitachiin held her and whispered soothingly in her ear.

Kaoru watched his brother cradle the young brunette for a moment and then locked eyes with Kyouya. The Shadow King stared back and tried to gauge what emotion the younger Hitachiin was displaying.

Fortunately, there was nothing malicious about the look.

No condemnation. No anger. Just a simple glance that told the Host Club Vice President that he should leave for a while.

_If that's what you want._ Kyouya wasn't happy, but knew that he had other matters on his plate that needed attending to before too much time passed.

While most of the other hosts clustered around Haruhi, Kyouya spoke to Mori, who was still standing by the door watching over the younger hosts. The Shadow King motioned for the taller senior to move over to the side so they could talk semi-privately.

"I need to speak to the doctors about Ranka's situation. Then I need to take care of something else involving my police force. But this latter issue is of a delicate nature, and I would ask that it be kept from the others until I find out more information." Kyouya did not give any further details.

Mori regarded the bespectacled teenager steadily. He knew that the Host Club Vice President rarely confided in anyone, but when he did, it was for a very good reason, and thus discretion was necessary. Although slightly curious about what kind of issue this was, the stoic senior simply replied, "Understood."

"Thank you, Mori-senpai. Please excuse me." Without another word, Kyouya walked out into the reception area and then down the hall in the direction of Dr. Tanaka's office.

As he continued down the hallway, he murmured a silent prayer that the doctors had been able to catch Ranka's condition in time, thus leaving open the possibility that the crossdresser might survive. He hated this helpless feeling that he had been hiding from the host club members, and knew he had to do whatever it took to save Ranka.

Even if it meant fighting his father where it hurt him the most.

_I've done it before…_

_At the disaster site…_

"Sir, we have the boxes here, as well as the papers that came with them."

Tachibana glanced in the direction of the private police lieutenant who called for his attention. The man in full body armor stood in front of two other soldiers who each carried a small box each about the size of a pastry box, and decorated as such. He saluted his superior while the other two soldiers stood at attention while holding the boxes. Tachibana nodded at the officer.

"Very well, Lieutenant. What else did you find?"

"My men found one other box that's slightly smaller than the others, sir. It's not as heavy." As if on cue, a third soldier brought a smaller box that was decorated in a similar fashion as the first two.

_Probably the fuses_, Tachibana thought before addressing the soldiers.

"Bring the boxes over here."

"Yes sir." The ranking officer nodded to his men, who walked up to Tachibana and slowly set the boxes at his feet. After putting the boxes down, each soldier stepped back, stood at attention, and saluted the head of the Ohtori family staff.

"Secure the area and have your men open the boxes once it is safe to do so."

"Yes, sir." The lieutenant immediately motioned to the soldiers to clear the investigators away to a safe area while several specially trained soldiers in extra body armor approached the boxes. Tachibana took the liberty of moving off to a protected area while the private police investigated the contents of the boxes.

As soon as the soldiers guarding Tachibana radioed the lieutenant and indicated it was safe, the heavily armored men slowly opened the boxes and prepared to shield themselves in case it was necessary.

Luckily, nothing happened. But upon further investigation, the private police noticed something they hadn't previously expected.

Meanwhile, a member of the fire department approached the lead investigator and whispered something in his ear.

The two men tentatively approached Tachibana and the private police who were guarding them.

"Tachibana-san, there's something you need to know."

The head of the Ohtori family staff stared at the man, wondering just what he was going to say.

But the sound of a limousine's engine interrupted the older man's thoughts.

TBC.

Author's note: Okay it's been a long time, but here is another (short) chapter for your perusal. Rather Kyouya-centric (and Haruhi-centric) if I do say so myself. Just put another burden on the poor guy's shoulders.

I apologize for the delay, but I have a lot distracting me (holidays and work), and so I need to get on a semi-regular schedule to be more effective with updating.

And yes, I know I made Haruhi pretty OOC in this chapter, but please bear in mind that she is very afraid for her father's life and an aneurysm is pretty serious business and can be difficult to treat. Plus, her mother is already is gone, as well as her home and her old way of life. Because of this, her rationality isn't at its usual high point right now.

Anyway, thanks for all your reviews. Hope you liked the chapter. It was kind of hard for me to write.

I will probably seek out a beta reader. It might make the story better. Any takers?

Thank you again for reading and reviewing.


	13. Tears

_**Notes and Disclaimer**__: Probably not as necessary at this point, but I just want to emphasize that Ouran and its characters are not mine. They are Hatori-sensei's. Again, thank you for not suing._

CHAPTER 13: TEARS

"Are you sure about this, Tachibana-san?"

"Positive, sir. The investigators showed me themselves, and I have no reason to doubt them."

Kyouya sighed and pushed his glasses up his face again. He was standing with his servant and both men were surrounded by members of the Ohtori Private Police Force as they surveyed the metal object in front of them.

A burned-out _air conditioning unit_ of all things.

"I'm still having trouble believing that's what really caused the fire." Kyouya replied and opened his notebook to write down a few more entries. He wanted to absorb as much information as he could about this unexpected twist.

"The investigators and fire fighters checked over the remains, and were able to determine that this ground-floor air conditioning unit shorted out and set the apartment on fire, and that fire spread through the wiring in the apartment from that unit." Tachibana gestured to the destroyed metal in front of him and noted his employer's subtle bafflement.

"What about those boxes of explosives found in the landlady's apartment?" Kyouya asked while the expensive pen rolled across the paper in his black leather binder.

"None of the explosives or fuses were used, sir. My men triple-checked the manifests against the contents of each box and found that the numbers all match."

Kyouya remained dubious.

"That still doesn't explain why she had them in the first place." _And it makes my work that much more complicated._

"We have members of the family staff conducting an investigation, and we're still trying to pinpoint exactly where the explosives came from. From the name of the delivery company that shipped them, and the person who actually brought them—"

"I don't need all the details right now, Tachibana-san," Kyouya curtly stated as he shut the notebook. Then after a pause, he looked at his right-hand man. "I apologize. It's been a long day for me, and there have been some…complications that have arisen which involve Haruhi Fujioka's father."

Tachibana nodded in understanding. Years of working with the Ohtori family had taught him to pick up on silent signals from each family member he served. Although Kyouya had yet to inform him of any details about Ryoji Fujioka's condition, he knew he would learn the details when his employer was ready to do so.

For now, Tachibana could only wait and concentrate on his job in the meantime.

"Keep me posted. I expect daily reports on every aspect of this investigation. I want to know names, companies, amounts of money spent, motives and _nothing is to be left out_ of any of these reports. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Tachibana replied.

Kyouya nodded to the older man, indicating that he was dismissed, and as soon as he knew he was alone, he started looking at the list of people he was going to investigate.

The first person on the list… the landlady's niece.

_At the hospital…_

Ryoji Fujioka lay under the veil of anesthesia in the intensive care unit at the Ohtori Hospital. The operation had been successful, but he wasn't waking up, which made the doctors worry. For the moment, however, he was at least stable, and they allowed Haruhi to be by his side after the long night she spent waiting and fearing for her father's life.

"Papa…" Haruhi held her father's hand and whispered the name she had called him when she was old enough to talk. She had called him that all the way up until her mother had passed away and she felt she had to address him in a more grownup way in order to accommodate the absence of her mother.

But now her childhood habit was coming back, mostly because of how small she felt as she listened to the hissing sound of her father's breathing through a respirator.

No response came from the otherwise motionless figure on the bed.

Haruhi looked intently at her father's bandaged head. The doctors had thoroughly wrapped it so that the bandages remained pristine except for a few minor red spots which marked where the surgery took place. She had never seen him so fragile, so helpless. Was he even going to survive the night?

A glance out the window on the other side of the room made Haruhi's stomach flutter nervously. Dark clouds were covering the otherwise starlit sky and were blocking out the light of the moon. Inexorable shadows loomed higher and higher as Haruhi couldn't help but stare at the now-threatening sky…

She braced herself as she had many times before as every one of her nerves went on high alert just before that first crash of thunder.

As she shut her eyes and squeezed her father's hand, another sound, different but no less-threatening, squealed in her ears.

Ryoji Fujioka was flat lining.

"CODE BLUE!"

Nurses and doctors scrambled into the room and tore Haruhi away from the bed, hustling her completely out of the room despite her screams for her father. They didn't even notice how terrified the young girl was as they huddled around the crossdresser's bed and worked frantically to try and stabilize him.

Then the first peel of thunder crashed outside.

_It's happening again! Mother in Heaven, don't let me lose Papa! Please don't!_

Haruhi crouched on the floor outside the ICU and covered her ears, hoping to shut out the flood of noise and memories. This was almost the same as when her mother was dying, except the cause of death was different. It was on a night like this that Kotoko Fujioka lay in a small white hospital bed and gave up her battle with cancer. The thunder had sounded just as the older woman had allowed her eyes to close, never to see the light of day again.

And now history was repeating itself!

The shock of memories made Haruhi tremble all over even though the thunder was much more muffled. "Please…no…no…no…"

"Haru-chan!"

A soft pink blanket somehow found its way over Haruhi's shaking shoulders and she felt herself being picked up in a set of large, well-muscled arms and carried over to a nearby couch. Haruhi opened her eyes to see Mori placing her down on the couch between the twins, who wrapped the blanket around her and held her hands. Hani set Usa-chan on her lap and got as close to her as possible, taking care not to crowd out Kaoru too much. The three hosts helped her cover her ears and rubbed her arms as comfortingly as they could, but the tears wouldn't stop coming from their princess.

Tamaki took out a freshly-washed handkerchief (that Shima had insisted that he keep on him at all times) and dabbed at the tears coming out of Haruhi's eyes. Seeing her cry made his heart shatter, but he knew there was little else he could do. He recalled how angry she had been with Kyouya, and how her relationship with the host club would irrevocably change if she lost her beloved father. Would she ever speak to them again?

The blond man then shoved that thought away and made a silent pledge to always watch out for her regardless of what it cost him. Although he didn't say it out loud, it solidified in his mind and his heart. He didn't care about what his grandmother thought of him associating with the commoner girl. He was himself first, and a Suoh second. He would confront his grandmother and destroy all his ties to the Suoh family if he had to in order to make his feelings known to the world.

Nothing else mattered.

Nothing but _her_.

"Tamaki."

Mori's deep voice interrupted Tamaki's ministrations on Haruhi, and the half-French blond turned his head toward the tall dark senior who remained on guard.

Mori silently gestured toward the door of the ICU as a tired-looking doctor exited and made his way toward the group.

"Fujioka-san."

Haruhi looked up through the sea of hosts crowded around her and she swallowed hard as the man in the white coat came to her side. She steeled herself for the inevitable news that the salt-and-pepper haired man who had worked on her father drew ever closer.

New tears were starting as she awaited the sound of his voice. But there was no way to block out the emotion like she had blocked out the still-rumbling thunder. Bracing for the worst, Haruhi faced the man and held her friends' hands tightly.

"Fujioka-san. Your father…"

This was it. She wasn't ready for what came next.

"We saved him. It was close, but somehow…we saved him."

Haruhi smiled a little bit and allowed the tears to fall, in relief instead of sadness. She collapsed against Hikaru and gave herself a chance to breathe again.

_Thank you, Mother._

TBC…

Author's note: First, let me just say thank you to all those who are still with me even though I totally suck at updating and time management. You know who you are, and I am touched immensely by your words of encouragement even though I am so slow. I am still in the midst of working on this story, as well as another story which serves as a sequel to "The Solution" by BlackRosary. This story is called "Resolutions" and I am still grappling with direction on that particular story. If you get a chance, please read it and review.

Again, thank you for all your support, even though my time management skills aren't worthy of the name.

Until then.

T.H.


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